Un-Southern Charm
by GavinsGirl
Summary: AU: Lexi Montgomery had lost her Mom & Adoptive Father before she was 24 years old. She knew her background & came to Charming looking for the family she had never met. She brought secrets with her that could destroy not only the Teller-Morrow Family, but SAMCRO itself. Will she be able to let go of the past, move forward with her Dad & the man she loves? WARNING: DIFFICULT CONTENT
1. Surprise! It's A Girl!

**GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I looked up from my desk when I heard the sound of a car door closing. It was quiet on the lot today since most of the guys were on a run to Nevada and not due back for a few more hours. I stood up and headed out the door onto the lot when I saw Lowell, one of the TM Mechanics, point in my direction.

"What can I do for you?" I called out in greeting. The petite redhead approached, almost hesitantly. As she got closer, and removed her sunglasses, I thought I was looking at a ghost. There's no way...it couldn't be, I thought to myself.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm looking for Clay Morrow." the voice, thick with a Southern drawl replied. "Listen sweetheart if you don't know the rules then let me make it clear. What happens on a run stays on a run. Road pussy does not follow any Son home, especially my Old Man." I said snidely, knowing full well she wasn't what I was insinuating. She looked too much like her mother to be road pussy. At barely 5 feet tall, this stunning redhead with long curly hair and freckles sprinkled across her pale ivory skin had a DD size rack and a perfectly round tight ass that was going to make the guys drool. She was the spitting image of Lori Doherty...other than the eyes. Lori had emerald green eyes and this girl had royal blue eyes...the exact same shade of blue as Clay's, I thought bitterly.

"Road pussy!? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to!? Who the hell are you to judge me? You obviously have me confused with someone else. If you'll just tell me where I can find Mr. Morrow then I'll be out of your way." she said, obviously agitated. She has a temper that rivaled the tempers of both her mother and her father.

"I would be Gemma Teller-Morrow, Clay's wife. You obviously don't need any repair work done to your car, so what do you want with my husband?" I replied as my eyes took in a new model white Range Rover Sport with Georgia plates.

I looked her up and down, taking in her tight black leggings, which she paired with a tight emerald green v-neck shirt, short black leather jacket and black over the knee leather Louboutin boots with a 4" heel. Her jewelry was simple but elegant...a diamond and platinum pendant necklace with diamond stud earrings. I didn't see a wedding or engagement ring on her left hand, just a large blue topaz gem set in a diamond and platinum band on her right hand. Rich bitch, I thought to myself, thankful she wouldn't be looking for a hand-out. Wonder where her money comes from.

"I would prefer to speak with your husband directly. It's a private matter." she replied evenly, her blue eyes flashing with anger and irritation.

"Well he won't be back until Friday so come back then if you need to talk to him. You should know, little girl, Clay tells me everything so why don't you fill me in on your private matter. Or give me your name and I'll tell him you stopped by." I said, continuing to push her buttons, as I lied about when Clay would be returning.

"Fuck this. Tell him I have a gift and letter for him from Lori Doherty. You can let him know Lori's daughter, Lexi Montgomery, who is also his daughter, stopped by. I'll be back to meet him on Friday." she said, confirming her identity and my suspicions. She turned and walked back to her SUV just as the roar of motorcycles was heard coming down the street.

Shit. I was hoping to have a few more days to get Unser to dig up information on Lexi before I mentioned her to Clay. Figures Lori had a kid and kept her from Clay...from Clay and the Club. Lori didn't have what it took to be an Old Lady. I was married to John and the mother of two young boys when Clay first brought Lori around. It didn't take long after Thomas died and John went off to Ireland, to run Lori out of town. I just didn't know she was pregnant when I did. That might be a problem if Clay ever finds out why Lori left.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

What a lying bitch, I thought to myself as I watched the motorcycles pull onto the lot and park. I crossed my arms and leaned against the back of my Range Rover, knowing my eyes were filled with fury behind my oversized dark sunglasses.

"Hey baby! How was your ride? How did everything go in Nevada?" I heard Gemma ask, her voice almost dripping with honey, as a tall gray-haired man walked over to her and kissed her. Dear old Dad, I'm guessing. "Good." he replied. "We have to head into Church for a bit and then I'll be home for dinner."

I wasn't sure what to do. I could feel eyes on me and as I looked away from Clay and Gemma I saw a good looking blonde-haired guy staring at me. I couldn't see his eyes since he too was wearing sunglasses as I took in his appearance. He was dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, white sneakers, an SOA baseball cap and his kutte. He started heading my way and I pushed myself away from the back of my SUV as he approached.

"Jackson! I need to see you over here." Gemma called out urgently, from the doorway of the garage's office. The guy gave me one last look before turning towards Gemma. "Hey Ma. Everything okay?" I heard him ask as he hugged Gemma. I didn't hear her response. They went into the office and closed the door leaving me feeling exposed on the lot. I turned to see nine pairs of eyes on me.

"Lori? Lori Doherty?" I heard a voice call out. I looked at the old man who was breathing with the help of a portable oxygen tank. I walked over to him and introduced myself. "Lori was my Mom. I'm Lexi, her daughter." "I'm Piney. I met your Mom twenty-five years ago. You look just like her. Other than your eyes. Hers were green if I remember correctly. How is she? Is she here with you?" Piney asked, looking around the lot. "She passed away twelve years ago, when I was eleven." I replied.

"If your Mom has been dead for twelve years, what brings you to Charming?" a tall bearded man asked looking at me skeptically.

"She's here to see me. Church is postponed until tomorrow." a gruff voice said from behind me. I hadn't heard Clay approach until he was towering over me. "Lexi, come with me." he instructed leading the way into what I would later learn is the Sons of Anarchy Clubhouse. I followed him into the Chapel, a meeting room of sorts containing a large wooden table with the Sons of Anarchy reaper carved into the middle of it. Clay took a seat at the head of the table, and after closing the doors behind us, the blonde and Gemma sat to Clay's left.

"Have a seat." the blonde said, motioning to the seat across the table from him. "I'm Jax Teller, Gemma's son and apparently your step-brother." he said with a smirk trying to ease the tension in the room. "That remains to be seen." Gemma commented.

"Enough." Clay growled. "Lexi, I'm Clay Morrow. I understand from my Old Lady, Gemma, you believe I'm your Father. If your Mom died when you were eleven why did you wait so long to find me? Why did she never tell me about you? Who raised you after she died? How did you find me? I'm more than a little confused." he said.

"I'm sure it was a shock for you to have me show up here today. This isn't exactly the way I planned for this meeting, our first meeting, to go. I've known, since I was 16, who you were and where you were Clay. The name on my birth certificate is Alexis Kathryn Morrow. I was born on December 24, 1995. That was, in case you don't remember, five months after my Mom left Charming and moved back to Savannah. My grandparents didn't exactly welcome her home with open arms, but things changed after I was born. We were happy and well provided for." I only looked at Clay while I spoke but when I paused, I let my eyes dart in the direction of Jax and Gemma. I couldn't get a read on Jax's thoughts, based on his expression, but Gemma looked like she wanted to kill someone. I decided to ignore her and turned my attention back to Clay as I continued with my story.

"When I was three my Mother was working as a paralegal in a law firm. From what I was told Robert Montgomery, a senior partner at the firm, fell head over heels for my Mom. Two years later they were married and Robert adopted me. I'm not sure how I was legally adopted since you were never notified, but I have the paperwork at home. On her death bed my Mom made Robert promise, when I was old enough, to tell me the truth about my biological Father and the two years she spent in Charming. She wrote me two letters before she died. One letter Rober gave me on my 16th birthday and the second he wasn't supposed to give me until my 25th birthday. That plan changed when Robert was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given three months to live. He passed away last month after deciding to give me the letter my Mom wrote twelve years ago." I paused, dug into my oversized Michael Kors purse and pulled out three other envelopes. I slid them across the table to Clay.

"I also have letters for you. One from my Mom and one from Robert. The third envelope is a copy of my birth certificate along with some photos. My cell phone number is in there as well. I'm planning on staying in Charming for a month, at this point. I've already been here for a week. I just wanted to meet you. I'm hoping to get to know you a little before I head back to Savannah. Call me if you want to get to know me. If not, I understand." I finished and before another word could be said I walked out of the Chapel and into the main room of the clubhouse.

The nine men who had been on the lot earlier were all in the main room. I ignored them and made my way outside to my car. I could feel my hands shaking as I pushed the start button and put the Range Rover in reverse. Jesus Mom, what did you get me into, I couldn't help but wonder thinking of the letter and the last request she made of me.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"You don't really believe her do you Clay? We know nothing about her. For all we know she could be a Goddamn Fed." I heard Gemma say, noticing the worry in her eyes as she looked at the envelopes sitting in front of me. I opened the one with Lexi's birth certificate and there it was. Alexis Kathryn Morrow with parents listed as Lori Anne Doherty and Clarence Morrow.

"Lexi-Kate. She really named her Lexi-Kate. We talked about that maybe a year into the time we were together. What we would name our kids." I heard myself murmur as I looked through the ten pictures Lexi had included. Pictures of Lexi as a baby, a toddler, multiple photos at Christmases over the years, a cheerleader in high school, one of her in a car with a big red bow on it, a cheerleader in college, her college graduation and standing in front of a store cutting a big red ribbon. Un-Southern Charm Clothing and Apparel was the name of the store.

I handed the picture to Jax. "Have Juice run a full background on her and her store. I want to know everything. Tell him I want this done by tomorrow morning." I instructed. "Also, VP, find out where in Charming she is staying. I want to make sure she is protected while she is here. If she's my daughter and the Mayans find out it could mean trouble for her."

Gemma didn't say a word until Jax left the Chapel, shutting the door behind him. Then she tore into me..."You knew!? You knew Lori was pregnant when she left Charming!? What the fuck is with all this Lexi-Kate bullshit, Clay? If she really is your daughter she should have been raised here with family."

"Enough Gemma! Lori never told me she was pregnant before she left but I had suspected. That's right after you and I started getting together...when John was in Ireland. She knew once you got your hooks into me there would be no other woman for me, and that included her. Jesus, Gem...if I had known about the girl I would have fought for her. She would have been ours." I replied, wondering if Gemma had known or suspected all those years ago that Lori had been pregnant.

"Let's go home baby." I said as I slipped all three envelopes into the pocket of my kutte. "Aren't you going to read the letters?" Gemma asked. "Not now. I have a lot of thinking to do before I read them and open up old wounds." I responded leading the way out of the Chapel.

"Clay..." Tig called out to me, confused as were the rest of my Brothers about what had taken place over the past couple of hours.

"Not now Tiggy. I'll see you all tomorrow." I responded noticing Juice, Opie and Jax weren't in the room. "Let's go baby." I said to Gemma as I put my arm around her and lead her out into the late afternoon sun.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

It only took minutes for Juice to find out where Lexi was staying. I got the address and hopped on my Harley Dyna-Glide Super Glide Sport with Arlen Ness fairings and drag-bars. "Hold up Brother." I heard Opie say. "I'm coming with you. I saw the way you looked at her and I'm thinking Clay will kick your ass if you talk your way into his daughter's house." he said with a knowing grin on his face.

"She's fucking hot man but she's Clay's daughter and he would probably castrate me if I touched her. He wants her protected and that's what I'm going to do. I'll take the first shift and then put a couple of prospects on her. Go home to your family, Ope. I don't need a babysitter tonight, man." I replied, knowing full well I was lying to my best friend. There was nothing I wanted more at that moment than to see Lexi naked, writhing in pleasure under me, calling my name and begging for more as I fucked her over and over again. There's something about the redhead with the Southern Drawl that practically gave me a hard-on as soon as I saw her on the lot.

I made a right onto the cul-de-sac where Lexi was staying. I noticed her white Range Rover Sport in the driveway. I parked across the street and as I removed my helmet I looked at the sprawling ranch style home. It's a lot of house for one person, I thought to myself before deciding to take a closer look. There was a two-car garage on one side and a front porch that ran almost the entire length of the exterior. I walked around back, noticing the meticulously landscaped lawn gave way to a back deck overlooking an in-ground swimming pool and jacuzzi. This isn't a low-income neighborhood so I wasn't surprised at how nice the house was, but I wondered who owned it.

As I turned to walk back out front the sliders to the deck opened. Shit...she was about to catch me. I looked up and grinned as she leaned over the railing giving me a view of her cleavage. "You know where I'm from we shoot trespassers first and ask questions later. You're here and I haven't shot you so you might as well come up." she said with a smile.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I heard the Harley come up the street. I had been in the kitchen pouring a glass of wine and considering my options for dinner when I saw the very sexy Jax Teller creeping around my back yard. Busted, I thought to myself with a grin when I walked out onto the deck.

"Hey darlin'." Jax said with a come-fuck-me-grin as he swaggered up the stairs. There is no other way to describe how the man walked. He swaggered and oozed sex. I was pretty sure I had cum just looking at him. I had changed when I got home from TM and was now in a pair of extremely short distressed light jean shorts and a fitted ribbed black tank top without a bra. I knew he liked what he saw as he looked me up and down.

I leaned back against the railing and sipped my wine. "You get a good enough look?" I teased. "Not quite. There's still a lot more that I want to see." he said walking towards me. Oh shit. I'm way out of my league where he is concerned. "What are you doing here Jax?" I asked, trying to act like I was completely sure of myself and in control.

"Wanted to make sure you're okay. I'm guessing it wasn't the easiest day for you. Going toe-to-toe with my Mother didn't make it any easier I'm sure." he said as he brushed a stray curl away from my face. "Jax Teller! Are you trying to seduce me?" I asked, moving a safe distance away from him. "Consider me Charming's Welcoming Committee." he responded, flashing me another wolf-like grin.

Before another word could be said the roar of two Harley's could be heard out in the cul-de-sac. I looked at Jax with questions in my eyes. "They're here to protect you. Clay's orders. Two of the Club's prospects, Filthy Phil and Rat will be outside all night. You need anything you tell them." he told me. "I gotta get going. We'll have to continue your Welcome to Charming Celebration another time." he said before walking over to me and lightly brushing his lips over mine. He walked down the stairs and around the corner to the front of the house without even a glance back.

Later that night, as I laid in bed, I couldn't help but wonder if I had made a mistake in coming to Charming. Clay was obviously shocked...Gemma was a complete bitch...Jax was...Jax was everything the Private Investigator I hired had described and then some. Most of what I had told Clay was true but there was another reason for my visit to Charming...a reason that could potentially ruin any chance to have a real relationship with Clay and his family.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I could hear Clay softly snoring as he slept next to me. How could he possibly have gone to sleep without reading those damn letters? It was killing me. I needed to know what secrets from the past were in them. I didn't believe for one minute the red-headed she-devil showed up out of the blue just to get to know her sperm donor, Clay.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I slowly sipped my beer as I looked around the Clubhouse. A Clubhouse filled with hang-arounds, sweetbutts and croweaters. I knew I could have my pick of the litter but it was a redhead from Savannah that I wanted. For the first time in a long time, for the first time since Tara left for Chicago, I went to bed solo and sober.


	2. Family Rules & Club Business

**LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I still haven't adapted to the time change between Savannah and Charming so when I woke up the next morning at 5:30am I put on my running clothes, stuck my earbuds in and pulled up a playlist on my iPhone before heading out the door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the tall Son with the beard sitting on my front porch.

"Uh...good morning. Can I help you?" I said as I stretched. "I'm Piney's son, Opie. I have the first shift today. How far are you planning on running?" he asked, not looking happy. "Five miles. Same path I take each morning. I should be back in about forty-five minutes to an hour if you want to wait here. You don't exactly look like you're dressed for a run." I told him as I took in the jeans, steel-toed boots, long sleeve black t-shirt and a beanie. "I'll follow you on my bike. Let's go." he instructed.

I contemplated my future as I ran. If Clay is intent on making sure I am protected 24 / 7 then I might have a chance to prevent him from finding out the real reason behind my impromptu visit. As I made the loop and returned home I waited for Opie to get off his bike. "I'm going to make breakfast before I shower and start my work day. You want an omelet and some juice? I don't have coffee so that's the best I can offer." I said, trying not to show my surprise when he said yes and followed me inside.

"What's your plan for the day? I want to give Clay a heads up." Opie inquired as I placed a chorizo and pepper omelet with a side of bacon in front of him.

"Seriously!? I've been here for eight days now and managed to do just fine without babysitters." I said, glaring at him. "Hey! I'm just the messenger. That may have been the case but that's before anyone knew you were Clay Morrow's daughter." he replied. "Fine. You can tell Daddy Dearest that I have a meeting this morning with a real estate agent and Elliott Oswald. I have a couple of conference calls scheduled with my stores after that on the East Coast and then hopefully by 1:00pm I will be laying poolside outback. That detailed enough?" I finished as I put our empty dishes in the dishwasher.

At 9:00am I was dressed and ready for the day. I walked out of my master bedroom and into the family room where Opie was watching TV. "You clean up nice." he said taking in my strapless black and lavender knee-length dress with a short sleeve black jacket and my four-inch Jimmy Choo strappy black stilettos. I paired the outfit with a black onyx choker with matching earrings and bracelet.

"Thanks. I'm guessing you'll be following me." I said as I slipped on my sunglasses, before grabbing my keys and purse.

"Yup. Where's our first stop?" he asked, watching me lock the door after we stepped out onto the porch. "Main Street. There's three side-by-side vacant buildings for sale. Depending on the quote and advice from Oswald I might buy them to open up one of my stores here, along with a day spa and café. Now feel free to text that to Clay and please try to stay out of the way while I'm taking care of my business." I told him before climbing into my Range Rover. This whole babysitter thing is beyond ridiculous I thought to myself as I pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of Main Street.

Three and a half hours later I had signed off on the Oswald Construction proposal and completed the bank paperwork for the three buildings, which would eventually become one giant building. I ordered a sign that read Un-Southern Charm Boutique and Day Spa Coming Soon. Jesus, this was a big risk. A bigger risk than when I opened the stores in Savannah and Atlanta. Step one is now complete.

I walked back outside, took my jacket off and threw it on the passenger seat of the SUV. It had been warm this morning and now at 12:30pm temperatures were in the upper 80's. With the time difference I was going to have to postpone my conference calls until the next day. It was already after 3:30pm on the East Coast. I texted Emily and Celia, the two store managers in Savannah and Atlanta to reschedule. I looked around and didn't see Opie or his Harley Dyna Super Glide Sport with front drag fairing, taped thunderheader exhaust, custom badlander seat and the SOA logo on a pile of skulls painted on the fuel tank. As I walked across the street to Lumpy's Diner to grab lunch I called my best friend since I finally had a few moments to myself.

"How did it go?" Sophie asked in lieu of a greeting when she answered the phone. "Yesterday went exactly as expected other than for Jax. There are no words, Soph, to describe how fucking hot he is. Today was amazing. I bought the buildings. I'm now 1.5 Million lighter in the pockets but I own the buildings outright...no mortgage! Between that along with purchasing and furnishing the house I now own in Charming I have spent almost 2.5 Million in less than a month. Jesus, Sophie, what am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Am I insane for doing what my Mother wanted? Is it going to be worth it?" I asked as I heard the sound of multiple Harley's approaching. "Shit. I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow." I said, quickly ending the call.

"Are you my babysitters for the rest of the day?" I asked, kind of surprised I had been left alone at all. "No. Opie's in the diner. His bike is probably parked out back. Clay and Gemma wanted us to give you a message. They'll be over to your place at 7:00pm to talk and have dinner." the giant teddy bear, who was called Filthy Phil, told me.

"Thanks for the message delivery. Can I buy you three lunch? I was just heading in myself to grab a bite." I offered. After they declined, something to do with getting back to the garage, I walked into Lumpy's. I spotted Opie right away, sitting in a booth with a petite brunette. It looked like they were having an intense conversation so I grabbed a seat at the counter.

I had just ordered a BLT and fries when the bells signaled the opening of the front door. "Lexi! How are you? I spotted your car and figured I would stop to see if you had eaten yet." David Hale said to me. We had met two days before when we sat next to each other and had lunch at the counter. He asked me for my number and texted me later that day, asking me out to dinner on Friday night. "Hi David. I just ordered. Please have a seat." I said to the sweet and attractive Deputy Chief.

As David and I had an amicable conversation over lunch I heard the sound of a Harley coming down the street. I watched Jax back his motorcycle into a tight spot across the street between my SUV and David's jeep. I glanced over at Opie, who only grinned at me in return.

"Teller." David said tersely as Jax walked over to us. "Hale." he responded before turning to me. "What are you doing Lexi? Why are you eating with Captain America? Clay wasn't happy when we got Opie's text." Jax said in a tone that clearly expressed his displeasure. "Why would Clay care about who Lexi is having lunch with?" David asked as he stood up, in a tone that matched Jax's. "Probably because she is his daughter." Jax replied. "I thought your last name is Montgomery?" David asked, looking at me as if I had just sprouted five heads and a tail. "It is. I never met Clay before yesterday afternoon. And if you don't mind I would prefer not to air my dirty laundry in public over lunch." I said glaring at Jax, David, Opie and the petite brunette who was trying not to laugh.

I stood up and took $25.00 out of my wallet and tossed it on the counter. "Sorry for the drama, Michelle. See you next time." I said to the waitress. "David, I didn't know this would be such a huge deal. If you want to cancel our date on Friday I understand." I said before I walked to the door. "You bet he wants to cancel. Tell her Hale." Jax said angrily as he, David, Opie and the brunette followed me outside. "I wasn't speaking to you Jackson. I'm sure David can answer for himself." I said to Jax with irritation evident in my tone, before turning and sweetly smiling at David. "I'll pick you up at 7:00pm on Friday. I need to get back to the station. I'll text you later." David replied to me, ignoring Jax completely.

None of us said a word as we watched David get in the jeep and drive away. Jax turned with a look of anger on his face and at that moment I realized there is no hotter man on earth than an angry Jax Teller. My eyes widened as his 6'1 frame towered over me and he began to lower his head towards mine. I remember thinking please dear God let him kiss me before a female's laughter reminded us we were in the middle of Main Street and not in private.

"Donna..." Opie softly admonished the brunette who was laughing so hard that she was crying. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. Clay Morrow's daughter prefers the company of a cop over Jax Teller. The earth must be off its axis or something. I haven't seen Jax this upset since Tara left." she said, causing both Opie and Jax to glare at her.

"Hi. I'm Donna Winston, Opie's wife." she said introducing herself as she held her hand out to me. "Lexi Montgomery. It's nice to meet you." I replied, not fully believe the 6'4 gruff giant was actually married.

"That was quick. I didn't think Oswald would get the sign up till tomorrow." Donna said looking behind me. "I wonder who owns it now." she said as I watched the Coming Soon giant sign with purple lettering hung over my three buildings. "I do." I said smiling before walking across the street, getting in my car and driving home.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"What the fuck just happened? She's dating Hale? She owns three buildings in Charming? I thought she was just here for a month to meet Clay?" I asked, not expecting an answer from Opie or Donna.

"From what I heard she signed the paperwork today and hired Elliott Oswald to hand the construction for what she's designing. She paid cash for the buildings, her house and put a deposit down for the construction. She has to be pretty damn rich." Donna said, filling us in on what she knew.

"I gotta get back to TM. I'll see you guys later." I told them, wondering what my Mom and Clay were going to say about all of this. I couldn't help but wonder where all of Lexi's money came from. I also couldn't help but wonder what she had on underneath the strapless dress that showed off her curves.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Gemma, just be nice. Please. This isn't easy for any of us." I said to my Old Lady as she got out of her car and I got off my bike outside of Lexi's house. The house she apparently owned.

"Nice place she's go here. She's not exactly in SAMCRO's corner." Gemma said, ignoring my request as we looked at the large ranch with the beautifully landscaped front yard. Gemma was right, Lexi's house was not in a part of town where quite a few of SAMCRO's patched members with families owned homes. She was a little further out than I would prefer her to be.

I almost breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the sound of Jax's Harley coming up the road. "Hey baby. What are you doing here?" Gemma asked my VP and Stepson after he got off his bike. "I figured I could play referee if needed. Your daughter is as stubborn as my Mother is, Clay." Jax replied as we walked up the steps and rang the doorbell.

"Hi. Come on in." Lexi said, holding the door open. "Wow! This is beautiful." Gemma said begrudgingly, obviously impressed by the décor. "Thanks. I can't take credit for all of it. I bought the house before I moved here and had an interior designer help me furnish it. Come into the kitchen. I'm just finishing up. I thought we could eat on the deck since it's so nice out. Gemma, would you care of a glass of white or red wine? We're having crabmeat stuffed filet with roasted potatoes and asparagus. Clay, Jax I have a variety of cold beer in the fridge in the garage. Feel free to help yourself. Sorry, I'm babbling...nerves. Anyway, I'll shut up now." Lexi said causing me to grin.

"Your Mom had a similar habit when she was nervous. There's no reason to worry Lexi-Kate. We're just going to get to know each other a little better." I said, still smiling. "That's what my Mom used to call me." Lexi replied, her eyes shining bright with unshed tears.

"Clay, why don't you and Jax get your beers and head outside. I'll help Lexi finish up with dinner." Gemma instructed in a tone I knew better than to argue with. She was not happy at my reference to Lori or the use of Lexi's nickname. God help us...I'm not sure if we are going to survive this dinner.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I don't want to like her. I can see Clay falling for his daughter...his beautiful, smart, funny daughter. I don't like the effect she has on Jax either. He looks at her like he wants to strangle her or kiss her. He looks at her the way Clay used to look at Lori when they first got together. Clay will kill Jax if he realizes that Jax's interest in Lexi is not just as a step-brother. I'm going to find a way to put an end to that before it even begins. I ran her Mother out of town...might be time to focus on sending Lexi back to the East Coast.

"Lexi, Clay and I were talking last night. We want to throw you a Welcome To Charming celebration at the clubhouse on Friday night after Church. It will give you the opportunity to meet everyone before Sunday dinner. We try to do a family dinner at the house every Sunday. Those dinners, at my house, are with the SAMCRO patched members, their wives, kids and the prospects. Sunday's are mandatory for family." I informed Lexi, trying to sound sincere.

"Thank you, Gemma. Sunday sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment on Friday evening. Plus, I wouldn't want to you to go to any trouble for me. You don't know me so I don't want you to feel obligated." the little bitch said as she raised an eyebrow at me. She's not stupid. She knows I don't want her in Charming.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"What do you have going on this Friday? We were really looking forward to introducing you to the rest of the family...to the rest of SAMCRO." I said to my daughter. Jesus...my daughter – that will take some getting used to.

"She's got a date with Captain America." Jax replied before Lexi could respond. "The hell she does!" I roared, unable to help myself.

"Lexi, there's a few things you need to learn about this family. And by family, I mean as both my daughter and as the daughter of the President of SAMCRO. You don't date cops, you don't trust outsiders and you don't discuss club business with anyone not currently at this table. You also don't leave the Charming border without a patch watching over you. There's too many people who will try to use you to get to me. As SAMCRO Royalty, being the SAMCRO Princess and the daughter of one of the original nine, you will learn more than any prospect does before they're patched in and more than any Old Lady, other than Gemma, knows." I told her.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"I'm not going to cancel my date with David, but I will reschedule it. Clay, I'm twenty-three years old. You can't tell me who I can and cannot hang out with. I'm sorry and I'm not trying to be disrespectful but you haven't earned that right. I get it. That's not your fault and you've made it clear tonight that you wish you had known about me from the beginning. I appreciate that and am very touched. Just bear with me. All the sudden there's all this Club business stuff and these family rules. It's more to take in than I thought it would be." I said trying to appease my Dad...a Dad I had just met thirty hours ago.

Dinner continued with easier topics. We discussed what it was like for me to grow up in Savannah, my college years at the University of Alabama and my almost engagement to an NFL Quarterback. I knew they were curious about where my money came from and Gemma was dying to know what I was really doing in Charming but she wasn't going to risk pissing Clay off to ask.

Two hours later everyone was gone and the kitchen was cleaned up. I changed into a bathing suit, opened a bottle of wine and headed out to the jacuzzi. With music playing on low I sipped on my glass of wine thinking about the crazy dynamics of my new family. Gemma definitely didn't trust me or want me around. She tried to intimidate me throughout dinner but I could handle her. I know too much and I think she knows she can only push me so far. Clay was more open to me being around and getting to know me as long as I follow his rules. Then there was Jax. He was the kind of guy my Dad, Robert, always warned me about.

In the middle of these thoughts my phone buzzed indicating a text...

 _Dinner was really good. Still awake? - JT_

 _Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, I'm in the jacuzzi trying to unwind from a long day. - LM_

No response. Maybe he's all talk, I thought to myself. But then again, maybe not, as I heard a motorcycle pull into my driveway fifteen minutes later.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I went back to the clubhouse after dinner but once again I couldn't get Lexi out of my mind. Ima, one of Luann's girls, had shown up. Since Tara left, Ima usually kept the croweaters and sweetbutts off my ass. She was hoping she would eventually become my Old Lady. Now way in hell she would ever get my crow. She was starting to get possessive and irritating. It might be time to pass her on to another Brother, I thought as I pushed away from the bar and headed towards my dorm.

"Jax, baby. Where are you going?" she called out coming up behind me. "Get off me Ima." I replied, shaking her off. "Hey, Bobby. She's all yours if you want her Brother. I gotta go." I said as I changed direction and headed out to the lot. I sat on my bike and, before starting it, texted Lexi.

A short time later I pulled into her driveway. "Hey." I said as I rounded the corner of her house and walked over to the jacuzzi and pool...only to find it empty.

"Hi." I heard from behind me. "I grabbed you a few beers and a towel." she said, placing them on a small table.

I turned and couldn't help myself. "Holy fuck! You're beautiful." I told her as she stood there in a tiny black bikini. "Lexi..." I said as I walked towards her.

"Jax, no. Tonight is strictly PG if you want to stay. Things are too complicated right now. Your Mom is married to my Dad...a Dad I barely know. Sex with you would just be too much for me right now. Stop grinning at me like that. You remind me of the Big Bad Wolf looking at Little Red Riding Hood." she said as she took another step backwards, not realizing how close she was to the edge of the pool.

I didn't say a word; instead taking off my kutte before pulling my t-shirt over my head. I dropped them on a lounge chair while I kicked my sneakers off. I unzipped my jeans and saw her vibrant blue eyes widen. I let my jeans fall to the ground leaving me in only my boxers. Lexi took another step back.

"One more step darlin' and you'll be in the pool." I told her. She turned and looked behind her, giving me the opportunity to pull her into my arms and then into the pool.

"Jax!" she exclaimed, laughing when we came up for air. "Hold onto me darlin'. This spot is over your head." I instructed as I tipped her head back and lowered my mouth towards hers. She slowly parted her lips and let me take control. I teased her tongue with mine. I felt her wrap her legs around my waist. My hands cupped her ass and I heard her moan of pleasure as I pulled her even closer.

"Jax..." I heard her purr. I knew I had her exactly where I wanted her. She was about to beg for it. God, I was so hard I was convinced I was going to burst.

"Beautiful, sweet Lexi." I said as my hands made their way to the back of her neck. My mouth didn't leave hers as I began to untie the top of her bikini to give me full access to her milky white DD's. As I finished untying it I heard my prepay ring. "Fuck. Sorry babe. I gotta get that." I told her, hating the fact her eyes were glazed and knowing she was definitely ready for me, as I regretfully climbed out of the pool.

"Saved by the bell baby. Literally saved by the bell." I told her as I ended the call, dried off and got dressed.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"You're leaving? Now?" I asked incredulously, unable to help myself. What the fuck, I thought to myself.

"Club business darlin'. Duty calls. You have no idea how badly I wish I could stay. You get some sleep and I'll see you soon." Jax said before kissing me and disappearing into the darkness of the night.


	3. The SAMCRO Princess

**LEXI'S P.O.V. (2 DAYS LATER)**

"So, what do you wear to a party at a biker clubhouse for your debut as Clay Morrow's daughter? As your debut as the SAMCRO Princess?" my best friend's voice asked over speakerphone as I was getting ready for my Welcome to Charming Party. "I decided on a pair of fitted black distressed skinny jeans with cuffed ankles, gray strapless corset-style top and my gray peep toe Louboutin booties with the four-inch heel." I replied to Sophie as I took one last look at myself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom.

"Still no word from the Prince of Charming since he left you practically naked in the pool the other night?" she asked. I sighed hating how Soph insisted on using Jax's nickname...and mine. SAMCRO Princess my ass I thought to myself as I shook my head. "Not even a text. There's been a parade of prospects outside my house for the past two days but not one Jax sighting. You're going to still come out next month, right? I'm going to need some help getting the store, spa and café up and running. We always said we would open a restaurant together. I'm just not sure we thought we would open it up in Charming, CA. I mean, Soph, they don't even have Uber here." I replied.

"It will be fine. You and I can have a good time anywhere. Plus, it's what your Mom wanted. It's the only way to make up for not knowing your biological father for the first twenty-three years of your life. Now, go have fun. Watch out for your evil Step-Mother and make some waves. Let them know things are changing in Charming. Call me tomorrow and tell me all about it." Sophie said before ending the call.

From what the Private Investigator dug up on SAMCRO and their legendary parties, before my move out to Charming, I thought it would be best not to carry a purse with me tonight. I put my license, a credit card and $100.00 in cash in my back pocket before grabbing my keys and heading out to my car. Gemma had called me earlier today to let me know I was expected at the clubhouse at 10:00pm. I knew she needed to be in control of all situations at all times so I didn't get into my car until 10:00pm and began the fifteen minute drive across town to TM.

I could hear the music as I drove down the dark street towards TM. I pulled over before I reached the entrance to the lot. I took a deep breath before putting the car back into drive and pulled into the TM lot. I parked my Range Rover and as I got out I noticed there was a lot more people here than I anticipated. I was thinking smaller and apparently Clay wanted the whole friggin world to know that he had a daughter. There must have been at least fifty bikes lined up in different spots on the lot. I saw Jax, Opie and a few other of the guys out at the picnic table. Jax stood as soon as he saw me but before he could get to me he was stopped by a bottled-blonde with bad highlights who was wearing a skirt that looked like had been made out of a napkin. She had less clothes on than I did when Jax and I were in the pool two nights ago.

I was definitely more than a little out of my element here and was trying to keep a calm look on my face so my nerves didn't show. I stepped out of my car and walked towards the entrance to the clubhouse. Opie stood up and walked over to me, probably to keep the wolves away from me. It was almost as if some of these guys had never seen a woman before. They were circling. "Come on. Let's get you inside to where Clay and Gemma are. He'll make the introduction and then you'll hopefully be off limits to these guys." Opie told me as he ushered me inside the clubhouse.

"Is Donna here?" I asked. She seemed normal enough and I thought, as I looked around, maybe a little more the type of the girl I would be friends with than the pornstars, croweaters and sweetbutts that were trying to land themselves a Son. "No. She doesn't come to SAMCRO events." he replied as he delivered me to the couch where Clay and Gemma sat. "Look who I found." he said to them before turning to me. "Good luck. You're going to need it but something tells me you can handle yourself." Opie said before he disappeared in the direction of the bar.

"You're late." Gemma said as she took in my outfit. I gave her the same once over as she gave me. Gemma still to this day had a body most girls in their 20's would kill for. She was wearing a pair of skinny dark jeans, a black v-neck tight shirt with a pair of over the knee leather boots. Her long dark hair with blonde highlights fell in waves around the shoulders. There was a scar down the middle of her chest and the all-telling crow tat over her left breast.

"Family flaw." she said noticing my eyes glancing at the scar again. "Congenital heart defect." she continued. "Lost one son to it. Jackson was lucky. The whole in his heart fixed itself on its own." she told me making me wonder if she was serious or if she was using a metaphor of some sort.

"Clay, let's get this over with. Make the introductions and then we can get on with our night." she instructed my father. "Lexi-Kate, you look beautiful. You remind me so much of your Mom." he told me. "Come-on." he said taking my hand and leading me onto a small stage in the front of the main room in the clubhouse that had a stripper pole on it.

"Shut that music off." he yelled to Filthy Phil. "All right, listen up! For those of you who don't know someone special came into our life recently." he said as he paused as he wrapped one arm around me and the other around Gemma. "This beautiful girl with the red hair is my daughter Lexi. Her mother and I were together before Gemma became my Old Lady. Gemma, Jax and I are happy to welcome Lexi to our family and are looking forward to getting to know her better now that she lives in Charming. I know as members of SAMCRO you will welcome Lexi and protect her as you would your own. For those of you who are not patched members or prospects, but are invited guests and friends of the club, please remember that you are to treat my daughter with the utmost respect because as my daughter, as the daughter of one of the original nine of Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original, she is SAMCRO Royalty. Now, let's get back to the party!" Clay finished by giving me a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I saw Lexi pull into the lot but got delayed by Ima and then Wendy Case, one of the croweaters I hooked up with recently. Before I could make my way back to Lexi she was already inside with Opie. I followed them in but didn't have a chance to get to Lexi before Clay pulled my mother and his daughter onto the stage. I stood by the bar and listened to Clay's speech. Happy family my ass. I know my Mom well enough to know she is not happy at all to have Lexi in town. Should be an interesting few weeks.

"Hey darlin'. Let me help you down from the stage." I said as I placed my hands on Lexi's hips and lifted her to the floor. "You look good. Too much clothing on you. I preferred how you were dressed the last time I saw you...when we were in your pool." I whispered to her. I could see the start of a faint blush on her cheeks and knew that one of these days we would continue what I started in the pool.

"Clay. I'm going to get Lexi a drink and take her around to introduce her to the guys." I said as I threw my arm around Lexi's shoulder and lead her off in the direction of the bar before Clay could object. "What can I get you to drink darlin'?" I asked her. "Why don't you ever refer to me by my name? Is darlin' just so you don't have to remember the names of all the girls you fuck? Because I can tell you Jax, you will be saying my name again if you want to continue what you started the other night." she replied with a grin on her face. Yup...this girl is going to fit in just fine with SAMCRO.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I watched Jax lead my daughter around the clubhouse and introduce her to our SAMCRO brothers as well as other patched members from SAMTAC, SAMTAZ, Indian Hills, Reno and Rogue River. "It looks like she's in good hands with Jax. One less thing for me to worry about." I told Gemma. "I don't know Clay. We still don't know the real reason as to why she is here. It may not have just been to meet her long-lost father. I wish you would read those damn letters." she replied.

"Gem, I read the letter from Robert last night. I haven't read the one from Lori yet. Apparently, Lexi's money comes from an inheritance left by her grandparents and then by Robert himself. She is worth close to twenty-five million. If that ever gets out she will have the Mayans and Nords after her. They'll use her to get to me and to get to her money." I told her noticing her eyes go wide when it registered how rich Lexi is.

"Maybe Clay you should encourage her to go back to Savannah. It could be safer for you and for her if she remains on the East Coat." Gemma replied. "I'm not going to have my daughter be anywhere other than with us in Charming. We, meaning me and the Club, will keep her safe. I'm not sending her away when she has just come into my life." I replied before walking over to where Jax and Lexi were talking to Piney and Opie.

"Meet everyone Lexi-Kate?" I asked my daughter. She smiled and reminded me so much of her mother at that exact moment. But there was something different about Lexi. Lori had hated being the center of attention and Lexi seemed to revel in it.

"I think so" she replied as she watched, with narrowed eyes, Jax walk over towards Ima. "Sorry about having the pornstars here. They sometimes hang around the clubhouse. I thought it would be better to have them here so they would know who you are." I told her. "No worries. I had an idea of what I would be getting myself into tonight. I'm probably going to leave in a bit though. I have a lot of work to get started on with the store and I am a little out of my league here. Some of these guys look like they would want to tie me to the back of their bikes and kidnap me. Apparently just because I'm your daughter doesn't mean that I'm off limits." she said as I noticed Tig staring at her with a crazy look in his blue eyes.

"I was hoping you and I could spend some time together tomorrow and talk. I read Robert's letter and there are things I want to discuss with you. Why don't you plan on meeting me here around 11:30am. We'll have some lunch and talk." I said. After agreeing she headed off to the bar to get another beer. I was going to have to have to talk to Tig and then find Jax before Lexi left. I needed him to have a patch with her 24 / 7 until I figure out what to do about her financial situation.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

After another hour at the clubhouse I decided it was time to go. After saying good-bye to Gemma and Clay I headed out to the parking lot. "Where you sneaking off to darlin'?" I heard a familiar voice ask me. "I'm heading home Jackson." I replied, annoyed that he still wasn't using my name and also irritated by the fact that he had spent most of the night with a pornstar.

"Why are you leaving so early? This is your party..." he replied as he followed me across the lot. "It's been a long few days. Plus, it may be my party but let's face it...no one actually cares if I am here or not. See ya around." I said as I climbed into my Range Rover and pulled out of the lot. I glanced in the rear-view mirror before pulling out of the lot and saw Jax still standing where I had left him. I paused, almost considering going back, but before I could make that decision the pornstar seemed to appear out of nowhere and was whispering in his ear. He glanced at my car one more time before turning and following her back into the clubhouse.

I did something I normally don't do when I got home. I shut my cell phone off and left it down on my kitchen counter. I didn't want to be tempted to continually check my phone throughout the night looking to see if Jax had texted me.

The next morning, I got ready to meet Clay at TM. I figured since it wasn't a party or anything special I was okay to be dressed relatively casual. I threw on a short light denim skirt along with a royal blue v-neck sleeveless top and a pair of corked wedges. I left my hair curly before grabbing my bag and heading out the door.

I pulled into the lot at TM just before 11:30am. I headed towards the garage and found the office empty. I turned, walked across the lot and into the clubhouse. God, it's gross in here I thought to myself. It smelled of weed, vomit, stale beer and pussy. There were men and women still passed out on the couches, chairs, tables and on the pool tables in various stages of undress. Some were complete naked.

"He's in the Chapel waiting for you." a voice said from the direction of the kitchen. Gemma...fabulous. I turned, with a forced smile on my face, and greeted my evil stepmother. "Good Morning Gemma. Are you joining us today?" "No. This is a conversation the two of you need to have. I'm sure you and I will have ours soon enough. I'm here to make sure these croweaters and sweetbutts help the prospects clean up from last night." she replied before walking back into the kitchen.

I knocked on the Chapel door and waited for Clay's permission to enter before opening the door. "Lexi-Kate." he said in greeting as he placed his lit cigar on the ashtray and rose to give me a hug. "Have a seat." he said as he pulled out the chair I sat in the other day.

"Did you have a good time last night?" he asked. "It was interesting. Overall it was really nice to meet the rest of SAMCRO and some of the members from the other Charters." I responded.

"I read the letter from Robert. He told me about your inheritance, which is why I wanted to talk to you in private today. I'm more concerned than ever what will happen if it is ever made known how wealthy you really are. My enemies will definitely use you to get to me and to the club. They'll use you, and your position as my daughter, to try to destroy the club. As a result, Gemma suggested we encourage you to go back to Savannah." he said before pausing to take another puff of his cigar.

I'm sure she did, I thought to myself. The bitch is probably shaking in her Prada boots wondering why I really am in Charming.

Clay continued on; "I decided I couldn't do that. You just got here. But I meant what I said at your house the other night. You are not to leave the Charming border unless you are accompanied by a patch. I would also like to see you put a gate up around your property and update your security system...for safety reasons."

"Clay, I think you're worrying for no reason. No one knows me or knows about my inheritance other than you and Gemma. I don't need a babysitter 24 / 7. I will tell you I'm going to dinner tonight in Lodi, at Pietro's Trattoria, and I don't need anyone with me. I'm getting hungry. What do you say we go grab lunch and talk about things not related to my inheritance?" I said, trying to lighten the mood, as I stood up.

Clay's eyes narrowed as he asked "Who are you going to dinner with?" Shit here we go, I thought before I answered with two words "David Hale." "Are you fucking kidding me Lexi? Do I need to remind you that, as my daughter, you are not to date cops? Does he know about your inheritance and how rich you are?" he asked as his voice grew to a shout.

My temper got the best of me as I yelled, "For Christ sake Clay! Do you think I tell everyone I meet that I have over twenty-two million in the bank? I'm not a fucking idiot!"

At that point there was a knock at the door. "WHAT?" Clay and I shouted at the same time. The door opened and Jax entered with Gemma on his heels.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Twenty-two million dollars? Oh fuck, I thought, as I looked around the clubhouse's main room. Clay and Lexi's voices had gained the attention of the twenty or so people that were still milling around. I headed towards the Chapel with my mother behind me.

I knocked on the door. "WHAT?" Clay and Lexi shouted at the same time. My mother and I entered to see Lexi and Clay facing each other, in almost a standoff. "You just announced to a clubhouse full of people that Lexi apparently is a multimillionaire. Also, Unser's outside. He says it's important Clay and it can't wait." I said looking at my stepfather, taking in the murderous expression on his face. Lexi didn't look to be much happier.

Clay looked at Lexi and informed her their discussion wasn't over before he headed out to the lot. She wasn't intimidated and didn't back down. She told him that the conversation was over and she could take care of herself. God, she's so fucking hot I thought as she stormed through the main room out to the lot behind Clay.

Knowing full well this wasn't over I followed them onto the lot. Gemma, Clay and I stared in disbelief as Lexi greeted Unser by giving him a hug and saying; "It's been a long time Wayne. You look exactly the same." "Lexi! You weren't even a teenager the last time I saw you. You look just like your Mom. Della won't believe that you're here. You'll need to come by the house to see her. What brings you to Charming? And to TM?" he replied, in confusion, as he took in the looks on the faces of Clay and my mother.

"I came to Charming almost two weeks ago to meet my father." Lexi replied, in a soft Southern drawl as Clay simultaneously growled, "How the fuck do you know my daughter?"

"Your what!? Lexi is your daughter? I met her when she was eleven. Della and I went to Lori's funeral. Della and Lori remained friends after Lori left Charming. I didn't know Lexi was your daughter, Clay. We were told Robert Montgomery was her father." Unser replied.

I decided it was time to change the topic before an angry and skeptical Clay killed Unser. "You said it was important Chief. What did you need to tell us?"

"The ATF is in town. They showed up at the station a couple of hours ago. Two agents are running the show with Hale as their point person. There's an Agent Kohn out of Chicago and that bitch Stahl is back with him. They're after SAMCRO. You know that Stahl has a hard-on for the club, Clay. It's only a matter of time before they show up here with a warrant." Unser replied.

We couldn't help it. The three of us, Gemma, Clay and I looked at Lexi. "Interesting that less than two weeks after Lexi gets here the ATF shows up in Charming. I don't believe in coincidences so is there anything you need to tell us?" my mother asked Lexi. Lexi, who was fair-skinned to begin with, had gone even more pale than normal at the mention of the ATF.

I watched as Lexi flushed an angry red before denying any and all allegations my mother was alluding to. It made me wonder if there was something she was truly hiding.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Fuck...he found me. I should have known he would and now Clay was going to hate me. It is my fault that the ATF is here in Charming but not for the reason Gemma thinks. I'm not a rat. I saw the doubt in Clay's eyes as I denied Gemma's allegations.

"Thanks for the heads up Chief. Let me know if you hear anything else." Clay told Unser.

We watched the Chief get into his police car and drive away. "In the TM office now." Clay hissed at me before telling Gemma and Jax to get rid of the mechanics, hang-arounds, sweetbutts and croweaters. I sat in the office, by myself, freaking out and wondering how I was going to get out of this situation for forty-five minutes. I was jolted out of my thoughts when Half-Sack, one of the prospects, came to get me. "They want to see you in the Chapel." he told me holding the door open.

I followed him into the Chapel where Clay was seated at the head of the table. Jax was to his left and Tig, his Sargent-At-Arms, was to his right. Bobby, Juice, Opie, Piney, Happy and Chibs were seated at the table as well. No one, other than Clay would look at me.

"Take a seat Lexi." Clay said, as Tig got up and held out his chair for me. "Now Lexi, you denied having anything to do with the ATF being in Charming. You're my daughter and a smart girl so I want to believe you. We have too much on the line risk getting caught running guns for the Irish on the West Coast. You're going to have to prove you are on the side of your family. You're going to have to prove to us, your family, that we can trust you. Looks like my words from earlier aren't true. The SAMCRO Princess is going to date a cop. We need you to find out what the ATF has on us." Clay told me.

"What!? You can't be serious, Clay. How am I supposed to do that?" I asked, incredulously.

"Like I said before, Lexi. You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can use Captain America's feelings for you to our advantage." Clay replied to me before turning to the others.

"We need to get all the guns we have here and get them off the lot. We're going to keep them up at the cabin until this shit with the ATF blows over. Piney, I want you and Half-Sack to guard our supply at the cabin. Jax, I need you to reach out to the Irish and find out when the next shipment is coming in. We might need to make special arrangements. Happy, find out if Kozik is still around. We're going to need extra hands around here." he instructed before turning back to me.

"Lexi you need to go home and get ready for your date. I hope you're ready to be the sweet Southern Belle that Hale thinks you are. You need to get him to open up to you...to trust you. I'll have two patches following you and expect you to find out any information you can as quickly as possible." he told me before banging his gavel against the table and walking out of the room.

"Jax..." I whispered as he walked past me. "I got shit to do Lexi. Enjoy your date." he said, without looking at me.

Shit...fuck...damn-it...I thought to myself as I got into my car. Kohn found me a lot sooner than I thought he would. Life in Charming suddenly didn't seem to be as charming as it was three days ago...


	4. Family

**LEXI'S P.O.V. (3 WEEKS LATER)**

"Lexi? Did you hear me?" David asked. I looked at him, not knowing what he had just asked because I had been lost in my own thoughts. Thoughts that revolved around the fact that I hadn't been able to learn any info on the ATF and the fact that I heard from Donna this morning with news about Jax. He knocked up a crankhoe croweater and had eloped in Reno two days before. He hadn't spoken to me since that horrible day in the Chapel and each time I had been at the clubhouse at night he had been extremely drunk with either Ima or Wendy attached to his hip. Gemma was going to shit bricks when she learns that Wendy and Jax got married without telling her first.

"Sorry David. My head was somewhere else. What did you say?" I asked before forcing myself to take a bite of my BLT. We were seated at the counter at Lumpy's where we had lunch twice a week at 11:30am. I was bored out of my mind. He was sweet but there was no chemistry and he was all about routines and schedules. He lacked spontaneity.

"I asked what time Sophie is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I feel bad about having to cancel our dinner plans tonight since I have to work. I was hoping to take you to lunch tomorrow before she arrives. Also, Lexi, I hope this stays between us but I need to know if you are planning on going to TM tonight." he replied.

Holy shit! This is finally paying off. If he's working tonight and asking if I'll be at the clubhouse it's because the ATF is going to raid the club tonight. I need to get word to Clay ASAP. After quickly finishing my lunch and telling David I was unavailable for lunch tomorrow I ran across the street to where construction was well underway on my building.

Half-Sack and Filthy Phil came in thru the back door within minutes of my leaving Lumpy's Diner. "Lexi, are you okay?" Filthy Phil asked. "I need one of you to go find Clay. Tell him it's going down tonight. The other one needs to follow me home for a few hours before I head to TM tonight." I instructed as I grabbed my laptop and told Oswald's construction foreman that I would see him on Monday.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I'm going to kill my stepson I thought to myself as Bobby and I watched Gemma have a meltdown in the TM office. We had just received word from Jury up in Indian Hills that Jax had shown up with his pregnant bride, a croweater who was well known for her crank habit. Fuck. What the hell was he thinking!?

A knock on the office door had me yelling "Go the fuck away!" No one else needed to see my Old Lady like this. "Clay?" a voice called out from the other side of the door. Bobby opened the door about six inches and said "Did you not hear your Prez, shithead? He said go away!" Bobby was about to slam the door shut when Half-Sack stuck his foot in the door. "I have a message from Lexi for Clay. It's important." he said.

I looked at Gemma. "Club business." I told her. I knew it was important if Lexi hadn't called or texted herself. "It's okay baby. Go do what you need to do. We can talk about this later." she said. I kissed her and headed out to the lot with Bobby behind me.

"What is it?" I asked the prospect. He had been with us for almost a year. Chibs was his sponsor so I was going to have to check with him soon to get his thoughts on patching the kid in.

"Lexi wanted me to tell you it's going down tonight. She cut her lunch with David Hale short to get you the message. Phil followed her to her house. She said she would be here in a few hours." he replied.

So, the ATF was going to raid SAMCRO tonight. Won't they be surprised I thought to myself as I grinned at Bobby. "Emergency church meeting in an hour. Get everyone here. Looks like my daughter has proven her loyalty. Get a hold of Jax. Tell him the honeymoon is over and to get his ass on the road. I want him back here before the Feds show up tonight." I instructed the club's resident Elvis impersonator who was also the SAMCRO secretary.

I walked back into the office and told Gemma that I wanted all the mechanics, hang-arounds, sweetbutts and croweaters off the lot by 5:30pm. Church was scheduled for 9:00pm with the weekly after-Church party starting at 10:00pm. My guess is that's when the Feds will hit us. They were going to be in for a surprise, just as Captain America will be when he sees Lexi standing with her family.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I pulled into the lot at TM just after 6:00pm. I looked at the clubhouse and then at the office where I could see Gemma sitting at the desk. I walked over to the office before I went to find Clay.

"Gemma..." I said softly. The pain she was feeling, the pain caused by Jax, was clearly written across her face. I walked in, leaned over and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry and congratulations. You'll be a kick-ass grandma." I told her.

"Thanks Lexi. What are you sorry for?" she asked with a sad smile on her face as she lit a cigarette.

"Gemma, everyone knows how much you love your son. I'm sorry you weren't there to see Jax get married." I told her.

"My son knows better than to knock up and marry a croweater but he hasn't been himself lately. I think he's afraid to get hurt again the way he was when Tara left. He knows you're different though. I've seen the way he looks at you. I've also seen the way you look at him. He doesn't love the crankhoe croweater. She'll never be my daughter. But you, baby girl, doing what you've done for the club...you've proven you're loyal. You've proven you are family. Now, enough of this shit, let's go find your father." Gemma said surprising me...probably surprising the both of us.

"Clay. Look who found me in the office." Gemma said to my Dad as we walked into the main room of the clubhouse. "Lexi-Kate. I can't thank you enough. Gemma, I have the prospects and Kozik doing one last sweep of the clubhouse. If they find anything I need you to take it and put it in the safe at home. You'll need to leave your piece there as well if you're going to be on the lot tonight." Clay said.

Gemma turned to go find Kozik but before she did I knew I needed to tell them...just in case Josh Kohn showed up on the lot tonight.

"Wait...do you mind if the three of us talk privately first? It won't take long but there's something you need to know before the ATF shows up here tonight." I said, noticing the look of distrust once again flashing across the faces of Clay and Gemma. Clay nodded and we all headed into the Chapel.

"So, there's something I should have told you before but I didn't know how. I don't know who this Agent Stahl is but I do know Agent Josh Kohn." I said only to be interrupted by Gemma's accusations. So much for a truce and for being family.

"Wait. Gemma listen. Josh Kohn has been stalking me since my freshman year of college. I lived in the same dorm as his younger sister and from the day we moved in freshman year he's been harassing me. It got so bad that since I have gotten two restraining orders against him over the past five years. He constantly showed up in Savannah. He would leave gifts on my car...at my door...at my stores. I got everything from flowers and jewelry to pictures of my ex-boyfriend fucking another girl. He's aggressive and mean. He's also violent. I know I should have told you but it's because of me that he's here. I just don't know how he found me and found out about my connection to SAMCRO. I'm sorry and if you still want me to leave I will as soon as I get the store opened." I told them.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Violent? He physically assaulted you? He dared to lay a finger on you? On my daughter?" I yelled. I was going to kill him.

"I'll kill him." I heard from the doorway. Gemma, Lexi and I looked up in surprise to see Jax standing in the open doorway with Wendy, Opie, Bobby, Happy and Tig behind him.

"Rat take Wendy home and come straight back here." I instructed one of the prospects as I walked into the main room.

"Jax...I belong here. I'm family. You can't let them shut me out. If she gets to stay then I get to stay. I am your Old Lady after all." Wendy wined as she glared at my daughter.

"You might currently be his wife but you'll never be his Old Lady. There's only one person who deserves that title and it sure the fuck isn't you." Gemma said to Wendy.

"Enough. We don't have time for this shit. Jax tell your wife to go with Rat. I'm guessing the rest of you heard how Kohn has stalked and assaulted my daughter. He will pay but first we need to get through tonight." I said before walking to the bar and getting myself a drink.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Jesus. I have a headache. I've had a headache since Wendy told me three weeks ago that she was pregnant. She was ten weeks pregnant when she told me. I knocked her up the first time I had drunkenly fucked her. Damn condom broke but I had been too far gone to notice...or too far gone to be able to stop.

My mother is hurt and pissed. Lexi is pissed and refusing to acknowledge my presence. Clay is pissed and now Wendy is trying to further insert herself into my world by referring to herself as my Old Lady and going head-to-head with Gemma.

"Wendy go with Rat. I'll talk to you later." I told her. I had made it five steps when she called out; "You are coming home tonight, right Jax?" I crossed back to her and saw her shaking in fear as I got in her face. "I told you I was staying in my dorm. You got my name and the house. The kid will have my name but after it's born we will be getting a divorce." I hissed at her.

"Remember I am your wife and I'm the one pregnant with your child. Not the stuck up Southern bitch. You never know...you might actually enjoy being married to me. You've always enjoyed fucking me." she said. Her last sentence was loud enough for everyone, including Lexi, to hear. I watched as Wendy smirked in Lexi's direction, rubbed her belly the way pregnant women do and then turned to follow Rat out to the lot.

"Trouble in paradise already Brother?" Opie asked a short time later, coming up behind me. I know that he and Donna had grown close to Lexi over the past few weeks and for that I was thankful. Before I could answer his question, Clay announced it was time for all of us to head outside and wait for the Feds.

It pissed me off that Lexi was here and involved in this. I also couldn't help but wonder who she had thought of when she chose her outfit for tonight...me or Hale. She had on a backless purple halter top that exposed quite a bit of cleavage along with black mini-skirt with a slit up the right thigh. God and her shoes...black peep toe wedges which laced all the way up to her knee. She was so fucking hot and I was getting hard just looking at her.

"You're married Jackson. Stop looking at Lexi like that before Clay notices." my mother said. "I'm sorry Ma, for the thing with Wendy." I told her as we took our places with the others. I hated knowing I hurt her.

Gemma, Clay, Lexi and I were front and center planked by Opie, Bobby, Juice, Chibs, Happy, Kozik, Tig, Half-Sack, Filthy Phil and Rat. Piney was still up at the cabin guarding the guns we stashed up there.

Within minutes we all watched as unmarked and marked police cars pulled into the lot. I could feel myself getting more and more pissed as the Feds and Charming PD filed out of their cars. Two voices, at the same time, called out Lexi's name before anyone else said a word.

I watched in disbelief as she stepped forward. I reached out to grab her but was stopped by Opie. "Let her do this." he quietly said.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

As soon as I heard my name called by both David and Josh I knew it was time to do what I could in order to protect my family. I saw the disappointment in David's eyes as he took in my appearance. I knew he was upset that I was here. The look on Josh's face caused me to cringe. He was fucking crazy.

I felt Jax reach for me as I stepped forward only to be stopped by Opie. I turned to my left and looked a Clay. I reached out, squeezed his hand and said "Dad, I need you to trust me here. I know what I'm doing." I saw Clay's eyes widen when I referred to him as Dad. Still unsure he looked at Gemma and then at Jax and Opie.

"I got her back Clay. She knows what she's doing." Opie told them. Clay nodded at me. I turned and held my hand out to Opie and watched as he pulled an envelope out of his kutte and handed it to me. I turned to my family and told them not matter what happened they couldn't go after me. They couldn't cross the invisible line. I walked the twenty feet to where David was standing with Josh and June Stahl.

I ignored Josh and looked only at David. "Deputy Chief Hale. The man standing to your right has just violated a restraining order. He has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from me and my property at all times. In this envelope you will find a copy of the restraining order as well as a thumb drive. The thumb drive contains footage of the twelve times over the past three weeks Agent Kohn has violated that order by trespassing on my property and entering my home while I was both sleeping and not at home. I'm going to insist you arrest him." I said to David as I handed him the envelope.

"Alexis, you can't be serious. You know I am just looking out for your well-being. You know, my sweet Alexis, I love you." Josh said with a deranged look in his eyes. I watched, frozen and in shock, as he reached out and grabbed my arm. He twisted it, pulling me towards him, while his other hand grabbed my red hair and yanked my head back. "I told you Alexis. You would never get away from me. No one will love you the way I do." he said as a female voice yelled out and I heard the movements of Clay, Jax and Opie behind me.

"Agent Kohn! Back down and let go of the girl." June Stahl yelled out as my entire family moved forward to only be blocked by the cops. I yelled for them to stop but within seconds I felt myself being pulled out of Josh's grasp and into Opie's arms. He picked me up, put me down behind him and blocked Kohn from having access to me as David wrestled Josh to the ground and put cuffs on him.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I couldn't be more proud of my daughter. What she did took balls. However, I wasn't done with Kohn yet. He'd get out of jail and then I'd let Happy, the Tacoma Killer, take care of him.

I moved forward and addressed the agent in charge. "Agent Stahl. It's been too long. What can we do for the A-T-and-F tonight? Need some car repairs done? Or do you want to come into Club Reaper for a drink?" I said, knowing I was baiting her.

"As much as I would love to go into the clubhouse I don't think it's the best option tonight since one of my agents has gotten himself into a shitload of trouble. Who's the girl? Don't think I've seen her before." Stahl replied.

"Lexi! Come here. I want to introduce you. Agent June Stahl this is my daughter, Alexis Montgomery." I said, not knowing what a shock I was in for.

"Actually, it's Alexis Morrow. Just as my birth certificate reads. I had it changed shortly after moving to charming. It became official last week." she said softly in her cute Southern drawl, surprising me. "I'm heading inside to get a drink with the guys. Agent Stahl, I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again." she said before heading in the direction to where Opie, Chibs, Half-Sack and Filthy Phil were waiting for her outside the entrance to the clubhouse.

I watched as the Feds and the cops piled back into their cars and left the lot. I knew it wasn't the last we would see of the ATF but they would back off for a little while. I turned and saw everyone had gone inside except Jax and Gemma.

"Clay, we need to talk about Lexi...about me and Lexi...and about me and Wendy." Jax said from the picnic table as Gemma shook her head. "There is no you and Lexi. Not now...not ever...and definitely not while you have a pregnant wife at home. Stay away from my daughter Jax. Is that understood?" I replied.

"Clay..." Gemma started. "No Gem. He is not to go there. I won't let him treat my daughter like a sweetbutt or a croweater. That's the end of it." I said before I walked over to my bike and drove off the lot.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Two hours later I sat outside of Lexi's house on my bike. I took my helmet off and walked up to the front porch. "I'm sorry Jax but she said she didn't want any visitors tonight. I've already sent David Hale away." Filthy Phil said to me. "I'm your VP. If I say let me in then you need to step aside and let me in. If you don't you'll never get your top rocker. You'll never be patched in. Who the fuck are you to tell me no?" I said to the giant prospect, ready to push my way past him.

"He's following my orders. Go home to your wife...your pregnant wife, Jackson or go to your dorm. Leave Lexi alone." my mother said from the end of the front porch. "She's a good girl Jax who deserves to be more than your mistress. Leave her be." my Mom said before hugging me and walking thru Lexi's front door...locking it behind her.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"Is he gone?" Lexi asked from the back deck. We were on our second bottle of Pinot Grigio. Lexi knew she wasn't strong enough to say no to my son so she asked if I would spend the night in one of her guest rooms. Clay was thrilled Lexi had reached out to me so he was fine with sleeping alone tonight.

"Yeah. He's gone for now baby girl. Why don't you go get some sleep? Before you know it Sophie will be on your doorstep." I suggested to the girl I had come to respect over the past month...the girl I was starting to consider as family. We carried out glasses and the bottle of wine back into the kitchen. She looked sad and exhausted. It had been a long day and having the pregnant Wendy Case-Teller show up did not make things any easier for the young woman who was in love with my son.


	5. Croweaters, Old Ladies & A Baby (Part 1)

**A/N: I want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. The positive feedback on this story makes me so happy to know you all enjoy reading it as much as I am writing it. Please remember it is an original story that will have bits and pieces of actual SOA episdoes incorporated...as you will notice in this chapter. I hope you enjoy and watch for Part 2 to be posted either later today or tomorrow!**

* * *

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (4 MONTHS LATER)**

"Fuck!" I swore as my thumb got jammed in the engine I was working on at TM. "You okay? You seem distracted lately." Opie said as he slid out from under the Ford Mustang he was working on.

"Distracted doesn't begin to cover it. Ever since I filed for divorce, Ima has been further up my ass than she was before I married Wendy. Lexi is still refusing to answer any of my calls and hasn't attended Sunday dinner since the second one Wendy was at. Definitely explains why Wendy is no longer allowed at my Mom's and why Clay banned her from the clubhouse. What a fucking disaster that dinner was. And speaking of my soon to be ex-wife she isn't answering any of my calls either. She's supposed to be sending me her doctor's bills. I haven't seen one in weeks." I angrily vented to my best friend. I was frustrated and knew I was taking my bad mood out on anyone and everyone around me.

Before Ope could respond my Mother walked out of the office and into the garage. "Wendy's not answering your calls because she knows it's you. I could say the same about Lexi as well. But I'll stop by and check on Wendy on my way home."

"Thanks Grandma." I said, causing Opie to laugh and Gemma to grimace at the title. She was convinced she was still too young to be a Grandmother. "Seriously tho, thanks Ma. So, are Lexi and Sophie ready for the opening on Tuesday? I heard there's going to be a little party there on Tuesday night and some of SAMCRO is going." I said. I was fishing for information because I knew Gemma was making an effort with Lexi in order to appease Clay. It was driving me crazy that Lexi basically cut me out of her life without a second thought. Rumor around the clubhouse is she recently began dating a Doctor who works at St. Thomas.

"Jackson, whether Lexi admits it or not you hurt her when you married Wendy. We all hurt her when we accused her of bringing the ATF into town. Clay and I are still trying to make amends for that one. You need to give her some time. Let the girls get thru the opening on Tuesday and then go see her." she told me. I knew she was right.

"Opie, I was happy to hear Donna accepted the manager job at the salon. I think it will be good for her...for the both of you, because it will bring Donna closer to family...closer to the club." Gemma said before heading towards her car.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"I can't believe it! We somehow managed to pull it off!" I said to Sophie and Donna as we stood on the sidewalk watching as a crew installed the Un-Southern Charm sign above the building...the one large building that had once been three separate buildings. We had five days to finish the last minute details before the grand opening on Tuesday.

I left the café, which took up half of the first floor, up to Sophie. Yes, I had final approval on everything like design, layout, décor and staff but I left the menu completely up to the culinary genius who is my best friend. We hired Michelle, from Lumpy's Diner, on a full-time basis as well as a few of the other waitresses on a part-time basis. The café will be open every day from 10:00am – 8:00pm.

The boutique, located on the other half of the first floor, will have the same hours as the café and will offer the same product as my stores in Atlanta and Savannah. I typically offer a variety of clothing, shoes and accessories that appeal to women in their late 20's to mid 40's. I currently had the entire inventory logged and on display. I still have to finish the front window display, which will pay homage to my family roots and hopefully to my future. No one will see the display until just before we open on Tuesday. The windows were covered with black draping at the moment. Even Donna and Soph were kept in the dark on this part of my boutique.

The salon, which will be open Tuesday – Saturday, is located on the entire second floor of the building. The marble staircase, leading from the main entrance up to the second floor, was set in between the boutique and the café. Clients will be greeted by Donna or Chelsea Unser, Wayne and Della's daughter, when they arrived upstairs at the salon. We'll be displaying a variety of hair and skincare products by the reception desk for clients to purchase before they leave.

Upon arrival guests will be offered coffee, tea, soda, wine or champagne as they make themselves comfortable in the salon's lounge before being escorted to their appointment area. The stations the three nail technicians will use are set on the far left side of the second floor near the pedicure chairs and tubs. The four hair stylists will also be set on the left side of the salon. The right side will serve as five individual treatment rooms where talented estheticians and massage therapists will offer a variety of customized facials, waxings, massages and body wraps along with other skincare treatments and makeup applications.

The third floor housed my office, Sophie's office and Donna's office along with a lounge and kitchen for the employees to use on their breaks or during downtime between scheduled appointments.

If Charming is a success then I may consider expanding the stores in Atlanta and Savannah to include a café and salon as well as possibly a bridal shop in all three cities. There is definitely a lot riding on this venture.

As we walked back inside my phone rang. It was Gemma. She was supposed to be here in twenty minutes to join Sophie, Donna and I for lunch. The plan is to taste some of the café's menu items today. "Hey Gemma! Are you on your way over for lunch?" I asked when I answered.

"Lexi!" she exclaimed frantically. "I need you to find Jax. I can't get a hold of him or Clay. Wendy's being rushed to St. Thomas right now. She OD'd and was bleeding on the kitchen floor. I don't know if she'll make it. I don't know if Abel will make it. She's only 30 weeks along. It's too soon. Please Lexi. I'm on my way to the hospital right now."

"Goddamn crankhoe croweater. God help her if Abel comes out tweaking. Jax will kill her. I'm on my way to TM now. I'll find Jax and my Dad." I replied before ending the call. I quickly filled Soph and Donna in before grabbing my keys and running out the door with Miles, one of the prospects who was my current babysitter, following me.

I drove as fast as I could and practically made the turn into the lot on two tires. I saw the mechanics look up in surprise as the heard the squeal of my tires. They watched as I threw the Range Rover into park and ran into the clubhouse. The main room was empty with the exception of Rat, who was stocking the bar.

"Where is everyone?" I demanded to know, rather impatiently. "The guys are at the table. Half-Sack and Filthy Phil are out doing repo's today for the garage." he responded as Miles came running in behind me.

I took a deep breath and knew, even as the SAMCRO Princess, I was about to do something that could get me shot. Rat and Miles watched in horror as I turned away from the bar and burst thru the Chapel doors without knocking.

"What the fuck, Lexi!? I could have shot you!" Tig exclaimed as he held a gun pointed in my direction. I ignored him, and everyone else, as I addressed Jax.

"Jax, you need to go to St. Thomas right now. Gemma's been trying to reach you. Wendy OD'd at the house. She was unconscious and bleeding on the kitchen floor when Gemma found her." I said.

Before I finished Jax was out of his seat and rushing past me with his brothers behind him. I followed them out to the lot and watched as Jax hopped on his Harley and pulled out of his spot. Opie was behind him, followed by the others including my Dad. Jax stopped next to me and handed me the extra helmet that had been on the back of his bike. I didn't hesitate. I put the helmet on, got on the back of his bike and wrapped my arms tightly around Jax as he sped out of the lot.

When we arrived at the hospital we were greeted by Gemma, Sophie and Donna. "Soph, you didn't have to come." I said to her as she hugged me. "Of course I did. This is your family. Since you and I have been family since we were two years old that means they're my family too." Sophie replied.

"Is there any news?" Jax asked Gemma. "Yes. The Doctor will be out to talk to you. They did an emergency c-section as soon as Wendy was brought in. Abel is in rough shape, Jackson. Also, just so you're not blindsided, Tara was part of the team that delivered your son. I didn't know she was back in Charming." Gemma told Jax.

We watched in silence as the doors opened and two Doctors walked into the Waiting Room that SAMCRO had taken over. The head of Pediatric Surgery at St. Thomas, Dr. Namid, was followed by Dr. Tara Knowles, Jax's former Old Lady and the one woman who was responsible for breaking his heart.

I stood silently as Tara introduced Dr. Namid to Jax, Gemma and Clay. She then suggested the five of them go into a conference room to discuss Abel's condition. Before walking into the room Jax paused, turned to me and extended his hand. "Lexi, please." he said softly, the look in his beautiful blue eyes breaking my heart. They were filled with anger, fear and a vulnerability I had never seen before. I let him take my hand and as we sat at the conference table we learned Abel had been born with the family flaw, a congenital heart disorder. Dr. Namid recommended performing two surgeries on Abel. The first would be to repair the tear in his abdomen. If he stabilizes after that the second surgery would be to repair the hole in his heart. The tear and premature birth were a result of Wendy's drug abuse while she was pregnant. Dr. Namid was only giving him a 20% chance of survival.

I watched, unsure what to do, as Tara pulled Jax aside for a private conversation. She informed him Wendy had missed her last three OB/GYN appointments and her hands and feet were full of track marks. Gemma's head was in her hands, sobbing for her only Grandchild as my Dad attempted to comfort her. A few minutes later Tara left the room and Gemma pulled a baggie out of her purse.

"I found this on the kitchen floor next to Wendy and her needle." she said, sliding it across the table to Jax. He picked it up and looked at the stamp on the outside of the small bag. I watched as a look of rage flashed across his face. He slid the bag towards Clay. "This is Whistler's stamp. Looks like Darby and the Nords have started dealing in Charming again. I'm going to fucking kill him." he said before pushing back from the table and storming out of the room.

"Ope, Tig, Chibs, Bobby...watch his back." Clay instructed as I stood in shock watching Jax walk down the hall towards the hospital's entrance without even seeing his son.

"Jax! Jackson! Stop! You can't do this. You have a son to think about." I pleaded with him. I stopped short when he turned, looked at me and told me, "Just because you're Clay's daughter doesn't mean you can tell me what to do. You're just the daughter of the Club's President. That doesn't give you a place at the table or the right to voice your opinion. You better learn your place, Princess." It was like looking into the face of a stranger. Without another word he continued down the hall and out the door. "He doesn't mean it Lex. I got his back. I'll make sure he's okay." Opie told me in a quiet voice as he followed Jax outside.

"Lexi-Kate, he didn't mean it. But he needed to go take care of business. You need to understand that. He needs to make things right for his son." Clay told me a short time later as he, Gemma and I looked at Abel, who was hooked up to all sorts of tubes as he lay helpless and barely alive in an incubator.

I looked at my Father in disbelief. "He needed to come see his son before he went anywhere else." I told him before turning to Gemma, asking her for the keys to Jax and Wendy's house.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was seeing red. I knew I wasn't thinking straight but I was going to kill the asshole who hurt my son. The son I was sure I was never going to hold, teach to ride a bicycle, teach to throw a football or teach to ride a Harley when he got older.

I didn't acknowledge my brother as we got off our motorcycles at the Hairy Dog. If the Nords are dealing out of Charming they were dealing out of this shithole. "Jackie-boy. Let's be smart about this. We don't know what we're walking into here." Chibs said. I ignored him and pulled open the door of the bar.

I saw Whistler, Darby's second in command, at one of the pool tables with some of his crew. I grabbed a pool stick as I crossed the room and yelled "You sold crank to my pregnant ex-wife? To the Mother of my Son?" Surprised, Whitler turned towards me. I took the pool stick and swung it like a baseball bat. As Whistler fell to the ground his buddies sprang into motion but were sidelined by my Brothers. "You don't want any part of this." Bobby said as he held a gun in the face of a Nord.

I don't remember too much of what happened next but when I saw Whistler on the ground laughing I took the pool stick and stabbed him in the balls with it. I would have kept going and possibly would have killed him but the old man behind the bar informed us that he called the cops. "Shisk-a-balls are on me." Tig said, laughing, as we raced out the door.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

After getting the house keys from Gemma, Donna offered to drop me off. My Dad sent Miles and Rat to follow us and watch over me. He was afraid that if Jax attacked the Nords then the blowback could affect me. I was sure that the house needed to be cleaned up from Wendy's OD but I was shocked when I walked in and saw what a disaster the cute little ranch was in. Obviously, Wendy wasn't much of a housekeeper. After a search of the kitchen, I found her stash and flushed it down the toilet. I then got out the bleach, a mop and a ton of cleaning supplies and went to work.

I started in the kitchen first, washing the floor, doing the dishes, and scrubbing every counter top before moving onto the bedroom. I changed the sheets on the bed in the master and cleaned the room from top to bottom before scrubbing the bathroom. I was just finishing the living room when Jax came in, covered in dried blood, at 12:30am.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I unlocked the front door of my house at 12:30am. I knew I had to get rid of Wendy's stash in case the cops showed up. I was shocked to see how clean the house was...and even more shocked to see Lexi cleaning my living room. "What the fuck are you doing here Lexi?" I asked.

I had obviously startled her. "I told Gemma to stay at the hospital with Abel. I didn't want you to come home to the condition it was in. I didn't want you to bring Abel home to the disaster it was. I wasn't sure which one of the empty bedrooms is going to be Abel's nursery so I didn't do anything to either one. If you'll tell me I can clean it before you bring in the furniture for his nursery." she replied, pissing me off because the kid wasn't going to live. I was also pissed because she refused to acknowledge the fact I was covered in Whistler's blood.

"He doesn't have a room. The kid isn't going to make it Lexi." I told her.

"What!? Did something happen to Abel? Did you hear from the hospital?" she asked as tears silently streamed down her face.

"You heard what Tara and Dr. Namid said. He only has a 20% chance. He was born with half a stomach and a hole in his heart. He's going to die." I replied angrily. I was getting more and more pissed.

"Fuck you Jackson!" she screamed as she slapped me across the face. "That little boy...that innocent beautiful baby only has you to fight for him. He has a name and you haven't used it once. It's Abel. Stop being such an asshole and go see your Son! You're a Father now, you asshole!"

"For how long? A day? A week? A month? That's why I haven't gone to see him." I yelled back at her.

"You don't think he's going to live, then might as well go down there and pull the plug yourself." she yelled, as she sobbed for my Son.

I watched as she threw the rag she was cleaning with back into a bucket and turned to walk out the door. We looked, both surprised and embarrassed, as Gemma watched us from the open doorway. "Lexi, I thought you might need a ride home since your car is still at TM. Jackson, get your shit together. I expect to see you tomorrow at St. Thomas." she said before turning and walking out the door, with Lexi following behind her.


	6. Croweaters, Old Ladies & A Baby (Part 2)

**LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I spent the next four days dividing my time between getting ready for the grand opening, visiting Abel at St. Thomas and avoiding Jax as much as possible. Gemma told me that Jax added me as an emergency contact, along with Gemma, in case there were any changes in Abel's condition and the hospital was unable to reach Jax.

Dr. Namid decided to perform both surgeries at once, and even though he wasn't quite out of the woods just yet, it looked like Abel was going to make it. He would need to stay in the incubator for a while longer and it was driving Gemma and I crazy that we couldn't hold Abel yet. I was hoping it was affecting Jax the same way but we hadn't spoken since that night at his house.

It was now Tuesday morning and I was at the hospital by 7:00am. I didn't have a lot of time since were opening Un-Southern Charm in three hours but I wanted to see Abel. I knew I wouldn't make it back to see him later today so I needed to get my time in with him now.

I had just finished reading to him and was getting ready to leave when I heard voices out in the hallway...Gemma and Tara's voices. Apparently, Tara had concerns as to Abel's care and upbringing when he was released from the hospital. "We have it covered Doc." I said when I walked into the hall. "Between Jax, Gemma and I we will make sure Abel is well cared for. He's already loved more than you can imagine." I told Jax's former Old Lady, causing Gemma to smile.

"Where is he going to live? He can't stay at the clubhouse in Jax's dorm. Is he going to live with you Gemma? Jax can barely take care of himself, how is he going to take care of Abel?" Tara asked Gemma, ignoring me completely.

Bitch, I thought to myself. I didn't have time for this shit today. I decided to put an end to the conversation then and there. "Again, Doc. We have it covered. It's family business that doesn't concern you. Maybe you should go back to Chicago instead of worrying about our family." I told her before turning to Gemma.

"I'll see you in a couple of hours, right? I've already read one book to Abel this morning and talked to him a bit. I wish I could stay longer but I'll be late for my own opening if I do." After being assured that she would be there when I opened the doors, she hugged me, kissed me on the cheek and whispered that she was proud of me for defending my family to Tara. At that moment I doubted this revenge plan my Mother had requested of me. Her last request, her dying request, was revenge driven and I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to hurt my new family the way my Mother wanted.

An hour later I stood, by myself, outside the building looking at the window display I had just unveiled. In the window sat a custom 1994 Harley, the one my Mother had personally designed for Clay right after I was born, but because of Gemma it had never been given to him. It was a custom Dyna Wide Glide FXDWG with lots of chrome. The tail had the Irish and American flags painted on it. The gas tank had the SOA Reaper painted on it with three sets of initials (CM, LD, LKM – Clay's, my Mom's and Mine) etched just below the reaper. Before displaying it in the window I had two other sets of initials added to it (GTM and JT – Gemma's and Jax's).

On the Harley were two very life-like wax mannequins. The sunglasses wearing blonde male was seated on the Harley and dressed in baggy jeans, a white t-shirt, white sneakers and an SOA kutte. I'll admit it...the male mannequin bore more than a slight resemblance to Jax. The sunglasses wearing redheaded female was positioned leaning against the bike with her left arm slung over the male's shoulders. She was wearing the same clothing and accessories I changed into after I left the hospital...a pair of tight dark blue fitted skinny distressed jeans with cuffed ankles, a white halter style top with the Un-Southern Charm logo stitched into the bottom of it, a short black leather jacket with the SOA reaper stitched in Swarovski crystals on the back and black leather stiletto booties.

I also wore my diamond pendant necklace along with my diamond and platinum Claddagh earrings and my blue topaz and diamond birthstone ring. My nails had been done in a black and silver polish by Cherry. Cherry was one of the manicurists I hired to work in the salon. She would officially become Half-Sack's Old Lady after he was patched in next month. She was a former croweater who fell in love and managed to turn her life around.

"Holy Shit! Is that you and Jax?" Donna exclaimed as she and Sophie came up behind me holding three glasses of champagne. "I guess it turned out to be. What do you think?" I asked the two of them as I took my glass of champagne. "It's amazing but a huge declaration considering what has happened over the past four and a half months. What if he freaks out?" Sophie asked. "Well I have life-like figures of Opie and Donna to replace it." I teased, hoping Jax wouldn't be pissed.

"Anyway, enough about that. I'd like to propose a toast to the three ladies of Un-Southern Charm. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Thank you both." I said as we clinked our glasses.

"I'm going to do one last walk-thru of the salon. We are almost completely booked up until 6:00pm tonight." Donna said with a smile on her face.

"The staff is all set in the café. I'm going to head inside as well. I can't believe you decided to not do a ribbon cutting ceremony for this one. You're just going to open the doors. I get it, but I'm surprised. Oh, and you have company heading this way. Good luck." Soph said before running up the steps and disappearing inside.

I turned to see David Hale walking towards me. Shit, not today. I felt bad about the way everything went down and when I tried to apologize after the ATF debacle he basically didn't accept.

"Hey David. How are you?" I greeted him softly, hating how my nerves were reflected in my voice. "Good Lexi. Thanks for asking. Just want to wish you luck with everything today. Oh, and no more drinking on the sidewalk or I'll have to take you in." he said with a grin as he nodded on my champagne flute. A grin that turned into a sneer when he saw the window display and we both heard the roar of Harley's coming down Main Street. I hadn't been expecting to see SAMCRO until tonight's reception at 7:00pm. Without another word, David turned and walked back the way he came.

I watched as my Dad lead his Brothers down the road and parked across the street in front of Lumpy's Diner. They walked over and Clay hugged me. "I'm so proud of you Lexi-Kate. I'm sure your Mom is too. We wanted to come wish you luck today before you open. We will all be back tonight." he told me, stepping aside to let the others offer their good wishes as well. Well all of them except for Jax. "Little LK, he's at St. Thomas. I'm sure he will be here later tonight." Chibs told me quietly.

Before I could say another word Juice exclaimed "Nice bike! What is that? A '94 or a '95? Holy fuck! Is that supposed to be Jax and Lexi?"

I saw the expression on Clay's face. "It's not like that. I'll explain later. By the way the Harley technically is yours. Mom had it custom built for you when I was born. I added Gemma and Jax's initials last week. One big happy family. Gotta go. Doors open in fifteen. See you later." I said before I turned and headed up the stairs.

One voice had me stopping in my tracks. "Did she bedazzle the reaper?" Happy asked in disbelief. I turned, walked back down the steps to where he stood. "Hap, there is over $2,500.00 in Swarovski crystals on this jacket. There's only two of them in existence. The other one is in the window. I don't bedazzle anything." I replied, wondering how and why Happy knew about bedazzling.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

If I thought Lexi had impressed me at the hospital by standing up to Tara and putting her in her place, it didn't compare to how impressed I was as I watched her unlock the doors and invite everyone inside to the boutique, salon and café. It may be called Un-Southern Charm, but this girl had all sorts of Southern Charm pouring out of her entire body. She sounded like quite the southern lady.

I had a little time before my nail appointment and planned to do some shopping in the boutique but I needed to take a closer look at the window display first. SAMCRO Royalty on display together for everyone to see. Hopefully Jackson gets his head out of his ass before it's too late. I was concerned with Tara's unexpected return to Charming. I didn't want her to get in the way of my plans for Jax, Lexi and the future of the club.

I entered the boutique and saw Lexi waiting on a customer. I wandered around admiring her taste in the inventory she selected for the store. Other than what she and her twin in the window were wearing there weren't any biker clothes in here...at least not the type of biker clothes that would bring the croweaters and sweetbutts into her store.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Morrow? Lexi has a fitting room set up for you with some items she thought you would like to try. My name is Melissa. Feel free to push this button here if you need anything. It will connect directly to my ear piece." a petite blonde said as she pointed at an intercom in the changing room that had my name written on a small chalkboard on the door. "Also, can I get you something to drink? Water, champagne or white wine perhaps?" she asked. "Water will be fine." I responded as I looked around the oversized changing room. It was the size of a small walk-in closet. There was a small table and chair set in the corner. I saw an envelope sitting on top of a shoe box placed on top of the table. I opened the envelope and a charm bracelet fell out with a note...

 _Gemma-_

 _I know we got off to a rocky start. I have really enjoyed getting to know you better these past few months. As a thank you for your support, everything in this changing room is on me. The bracelet however is more of a personal gift. Think of it as belated Birthday and Christmas gifts. I had the last charm made just after Abel was born. Enjoy being pampered today!_

 _xoxoxo-_

 _Lexi_

I looked at the silver charm bracelet and saw charms with Jax's, Thomas' and Abel's initials and birthdates on them. There was a charm in the shape of a crow and another in the shape of a Harley. The sixth charm was by birthstone and the seventh had my wedding anniversary date to Clay engraved on it. I was touched. I put the bracelet on and then opened the shoe box. In it was a gorgeous pair of dark gray suede Louboutin stiletto booties.

There was a knock on the door and I opened it to see Melissa holding a silver tray with a bottle of water, a glass of ice along with a lemon and lime on a small dish. She set the tray on the table, reminded me my nail appointment was in thirty minutes and left again. I looked at the clothes that were hanging and didn't recall seeing any of these handpicked items on display in the store. I loved everything Lexi had picked and each item fit me perfectly. I buzzed Melissa and moments later there was a knock on the door. Melissa told me, after some prodding, Lexi had specifically ordered certain items with me in mind. She said she would wrap everything up and would have it delivered up to the salon.

Talk about first class service I thought to myself four and a half hours later. On top of having my nails done, Lexi scheduled me for a massage, ordered me a Chinese Chicken Salad from the café then booked me for a blow out and a make-up application appointment! When I returned to the lounge to get changed my new booties were waiting for me with a new pair of fitted black jeans, a tight white black and gray sleeveless v-neck top and a dark gray leather jacket. "Wear me" the note attached to the hanger said. Crazy girl, I thought to myself as I got dressed.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

At 6:00pm Donna, Sophie and I closed the doors and sat in the employee lounge. We had a fifteen minute break before we needed to get ready for tonight's family and friends reception.

"This was a stupid idea. I'm too tired to host a reception tonight. It was busier than I had anticipated. I can't believe how much revenue we brought in today between the boutique, café and salon. Plus, I saw that the salon is fully booked for the rest of the week and next week as well! Job well done ladies. Now time to get ready for tonight." I said as I dragged my exhausted ass off the couch.

At 7:00pm, the Catering Staff we hired greeted our guests with champagne and beer on silver trays. Hors D'Oeuvres were passed, bartenders served cocktails and a DJ played background music as Sophie, Donna and I mingled with our guests.

Gemma showed up with Luann Delaney shortly before the Sons arrived. Gemma looked wonderful and I was happy to see she was wearing the outfit I selected for her with the booties and bracelet.

"Congratulations and thank you baby girl. You went above and beyond today. I feel wonderful and think that I look pretty damn good as well. I just left the hospital. Abel is doing well. Do you think you'll be able to see him tomorrow?" she said when I walked over to her. "My plan is to take lunch from 1:00pm – 2:30pm each day and spend it at St. Thomas. I'll also try to stop by each morning or after I close at night so I can read to Abel." I replied.

"Lexi. Can we talk for a minute in private?" the voice I had been hoping to hear asked from behind me.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"I saw the picture that Juice took on his phone but I didn't believe it until just now." I said to Opie as we stood in front of Lexi's window display. She put herself out there and hopefully this meant I was forgiven for being such an asshole.

I walked in and immediately scanned the room looking for Lexi. I saw her talking with my Mom and Luann Delaney, Otto's Old Lady. Lexi looked amazing from behind and I knew when she turned she would look even more stunning.

"Lexi. Can we talk for a minute in private?" I asked. She turned, smiled and took my hand leading me up to her office on the third floor. She sat on the white leather couch without saying a word. I knew what she was waiting for.

"Lexi, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for thinking you brought the ATF into town. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, throwing Ima and Wendy in your face before I got married. I'm sorry for hurting you when I married Wendy. I'm sorry I treated you the way I did the day Abel was born. On top of being sorry I need to thank you. Thank you, Lexi, for loving my son as much as you do. I've watched you read to him and I believe you're part of the reason he is doing as well as he is. I know this is the wrong time to do this but I'm hoping with the display it means you feel about me the way I feel about you and we can start over...a new beginning so-to-speak. Please Lexi. Give me...give us...another chance." I said, putting it all out on the table.

"You've said my name three times since we've been up here. You haven't called me darlin' or princess once. I want to give us a chance Jax but you'll need to talk to Clay first. He wasn't happy with the display, and from what I know about family rules and club business, one always outweighs the other. Also, if you ever treat me like a sweetbutt or a croweater you won't have to worry about Clay. I'll kick your ass myself." she replied with a grin on her face.

I pulled her to her feet and tipped her head up towards mine. I softly kissed her...my tongue teasing hers. The kiss grew deeper and more passionate as I ran my hands thru her long curly hair. I needed her. I had just started to peel her jacket off her when we heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Lexi. Sorry to interrupt but it looks like we might have some uninvited guests downstairs." Sophie said.

She turned and looked at me with lust still in her blue eyes and a blush on her cheeks. "Come on. Let's go get rid of the party crashers." I told her as we followed Sophie, hand-in-hand, down to the first floor.

Fuck, I thought to myself as I noticed the two uninvited guests...Tara and Ima. I looked at Lexi and saw the fury in her eyes. "I'll take care of it." I told her as I gave her a quick kiss.

"No, you won't. This is my store...my café...my salon...my private party to which neither was invited. If we are going to try this for real then those two need to be put in their place, by me." she responded before walking away from me.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I was pissed. The former Old Lady and the pornstar croweater. I decided to get rid of Tara first. I grabbed a glass of champagne and slowly sipped it as I casually strolled over to where Tara was talking with Juice, Donna and Opie.

"Can the three of you excuse us please? Dr. Knowles, please come with me." I said leading the way towards the foyer and main entrance. "This is a private party, Tara. One to which you did not receive an invitation. As the owner I'm going to insist that you leave. I'm also going to request that you not return. Your business is not welcome here. I'm sure you saw the window display and you understand." I said as I held the door open, leaving her no choice but to leave.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"One down, one to go." I murmured to Clay, Bobby and Luann with a smile on my face. "Jesus, Gem. Tell me this isn't your doing." Clay replied. How well he knows me. "Don't worry baby. Just needed to make sure Lexi has what it takes to be Jax's Old Lady." I told him. "To be his what!? No fucking way, Gemma. You know I love Jax but he's a man-whore and not right for my daughter." Clay growled at me as Bobby and Luann moved away from where we stood. "Just watch her Clay. Watch the way she and Jax are together. Trust me baby. I know what I'm talking about." I told him as we watched Lexi approach Ima.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I knew I wouldn't be able to handle Ima the same way I handled Tara but I still didn't want to make a scene with all these people here. "Ima, please come with me for a moment." I said, in a tone that most people wouldn't argue with...I admit it, I've been paying close attention to Gemma over these past few months and taking notes. "I'm fine where I am." she replied as she smiled at Jax who suddenly appeared by my side.

"Jax, baby. I'm going to need a ride home tonight." she said, ignoring me and focusing only on Jax. "Ima, again I'm going to nicely ask you to come with me otherwise I'm going to make you come with me. You were not invited to attend this private party and therefore I can request you leave or I can have Chief Unser, who is right over there, ask you to leave and if you still don't I can have you arrested for trespassing." I told her.

She turned to me, with hatred in her eyes, and said "If you don't mind little girl I'm having a private conversation with Jax." "That's it. I warned you." I hissed at her as I grabbed her by her hair, twisting it in my fist and dragging her thru the room and out the front door as quickly as possible.

I loosened the grip on her hair as we stood in front of the window display. "See that? That's me and Jax. That will always be me and Jax. You'll never be his Old Lady or get his crow. Stay the fuck away from me, my family, my building and my Father's club. Try shit like this again and you'll regret that your Momma didn't keep her legs crossed the night you were conceived." I said before turning to walk away.

She just didn't get it. I caught her reflection in the window and saw her prepare to attack me from behind. I ducked, turned and punched her in the face. "My nose! You bitch! You broke it!" she cried as blood poured out of her nose. I turned to walk away again only to be swept into Jax's arms. "Holy shit! I didn't know you had it in you. That was hot!" Jax whispered before kissing me.

"Luann, get the pornstar out of here. She is no longer allowed on the TM lot or at any club party or function. Jax, I want to see you tomorrow morning at 10:00am in the Chapel. Lexi-Kate, I'm proud of you for so many different reasons but we need to talk tomorrow as well. Get some rest." Clay instructed.

"I'm proud of you baby girl. If there is anyone who will make my son happy I know it's you. I'll see you tomorrow either here or at the hospital. Be good to her Jackson." Gemma said before kissing us both good night.

Within an hour the reception was over. "I'll lock up after the Catering crew is out of here. Overall, other than one major incident I would say it's been a pretty amazing day. Thank you both. Now go home and get some sleep." I told Donna and Sophie.

"What time will you be done?" Jax asked a short time later as he sat at a table in the café. "Probably by 10:30pm. I'm exhausted. I was at St. Thomas at 7:00am this morning. I wanted to spend time with Abel before the craziness of the day started." I told him.

"Miles is outside and will follow you home. I'm going to go see Abel for a bit. I'll swing by to tuck you in around 11:00pm." Jax told me before kissing me and heading out the door.

Hours later I woke up with a start. I was in my bed but I wasn't alone. I focused and realized I was in Jax's arms. He must have come in after I fell asleep on the couch. I looked at the clock...3:30am. I burrowed myself deeper in his arms and under the covers knowing he would wake me in a few hours to finally finish what he started in my pool all those months ago.


	7. The Right Choice

**JAX'S P.O.V.**

I rolled over and reached for Lexi, only to find her side of the bed empty. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 7:00am. Where the fuck is she, I wondered to myself as I threw my legs over the side of her king-size bed. I threw on my jeans and t-shirt that I had left on the floor before opening the bedroom door and heading towards the kitchen. No sign of Lexi in the kitchen, family room or in her office. I walked out onto the back deck and was hit by the chill of the cold October morning as I lit a cigarette.

I finished my smoke and turned to walk back inside when I saw Lexi leaning against the door frame. "Good Morning." she said with a shy smile. "Good Morning. How was your run?" I replied as I took in her appearance. She had on tight black and gray spandex pants, a black gray and white sports bra, and a black sleeveless spandex top with bright pink sneakers on her feet. God, she is hot.

"I reached over for you when I woke up and you weren't there. I got up to look for you. You didn't go for a run by yourself, did you?" I asked. I knew it was only a matter of time before the Nords decided to avenge the beating I gave Whistler and I was worried if they knew how important Lexi is to me, and to Clay, things could blowback onto her.

"Miles and Rat followed me. I didn't want to wake you because I didn't know what time you got here last night and literally tucked me into bed. I can't believe I fell asleep on the couch. Shit! It's already 7:30am!? I got a later start than I had planned. I want to go see Abel before we open today. Shit...shit...shit! Listen, I know we still have to talk and I know we definitely have some unfinished business but I need to shower. Maybe a late dinner tonight?" she replied before she crossed the deck, pulled my head down to meet hers and kissed me with such intensity I knew I'd be back to see her tonight, no matter what Clay said to me today.

"Go shower. I'll take a quick shower after you're done and then follow you to St. Thomas. We can go visit Abel together." I told her knowing I'd never be able to get her back into bed this morning. Strangely enough I was okay with that. As badly as I want to fuck her I want to get her into bed the right way, to prove to her that my feeling for her are different. To make sure she knows that she is important to me.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

It was 8:45am when I pulled into St. Thomas with Jax following me on his Harley. He took my hand and gave me a quick kiss before we walked into the hospital. We made our way to the NICU where Abel was in a private room. We watched thru the window as Tara and Dr. Namid examined him.

"How is he?" I asked, nervously clutching Jax's hand when they walked out of Abel's room. "Dr. Namid, this is Alexis Morrow. She is one of Abel's emergency contacts. She and my Mother will be responsible for Abel's medical care if I'm unreachable." Jax said to the surgeon. "He's growing stronger every day. Abel's stomach seems to be healing well and his heart is doing exactly what it should be doing. I think we'll be able to take him out of the incubator by Halloween and barring any complications he will be home by Thanksgiving." Dr. Namid replied before excusing himself.

"I'm going to go in and see him. I need to leave in about twenty minutes but I'll be back at lunch time and read to him then." I told Jax, ignoring Tara, before heading into Abel's room.

"Hey beautiful Abel! Did you hear what the Doctor said? You'll finally be out of the incubator in a few weeks and then your Daddy, Grandma and I can hold you my little love. I need to go but I'll be back later today. I love you little one." I softly cooed to Abel before grabbing my Michael Kors bag and red leather jacket off the rocking chair. A chair I couldn't wait to use to actually rock him in.

I walked out of the room, not entirely surprised to see Tara waiting for me. "Jax went to go see Wendy. She came out of her sedated detox late last night." she told me. "Thanks." I replied as I dug thru my bag for my keys and sunglasses. "So, what's your deal Lexi? How long are you going to slum it in Charming before you get bored? Before you decide the outlaw biker life isn't for you? Before you realize that helping care for a sick baby prevents you from taking trips to Aspen, New York, Las Vegas, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Europe? From attending all the high society parties that get your picture in the paper? From attending things like the Met Gala, the Cannes Film Festival, private parties on yachts in Ibiza and from going to the Super Bowl? I've researched you. I know all about your life. It's only a matter of time before Jax realizes you're not in it for the long run." she said.

"Why do you care Tara? You didn't want any part of Jax's life so you ran away. I know exactly what I'm getting into here. Face it Tara, you're not his Old Lady anymore. You gave up that right, that title, when you packed up and moved to Chicago. You might have kept his crow, hidden on your body where no one can see it from what I hear, but you'll never be his Old Lady again." I replied.

Before I could stop myself, I reached around to her back and lifted the bottom of her shirt. Peeking out of the waistband of her hospital scrub bottoms was Jax's crow. "Nice tramp stamp. You may want to get it covered up with a new tat." I said as I slipped my sunglasses on and walked down the hall towards the main entrance of St. Thomas.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I waited until Lexi left and then walked around the corner. "I would say my Step-Daughter is passing her crash course in Old Ladies 101 with flying colors. Looks like she put you in your place, Doc." I said coming up behind Tara, enjoying the fact that I startled her.

"Jesus Gemma! How long were you standing there eavesdropping?" Tara asked. "Long enough. Why did you come back Tara? It better not be to mess with Jax's head again. Oh, and you better watch out for Lexi. She's got a fiery temper that matches her hair. You got off easy last night. You were just escorted out. Ima wasn't as luck." I replied with a grin.

Before I could say more I saw Jax approaching. "Hey baby. How's our little man doing today?" I asked, smiling at my son. I was beyond thrilled to hear the news about Abel. I had a month and a half to get his nursery set up, hopefully at Lexi's house. Unless Clay killed Jax today I couldn't imagine any reason why Lexi and Jax wouldn't be living together by Thanksgiving.

"I'm going to go visit my Grandson and then stop by to see Lexi before I head to TM. Clay is expecting to see you in about twenty minutes so you should get going after you look in on Abel." I told Jax, preventing any alone time Tara was hoping to have with him. Lexi was right...it's time for the good Doctor to go back to Chicago.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I sat in my chair at the head of the table, smoking my cigar and waiting for Jax. Lexi deserves better than being with someone like Jax. She should be with a lawyer or a doctor. Someone educated. Someone who won't treat her like a sweetbutt or a croweater. Someone who wasn't part of the life that Jax and I are.

"Clay." Jax said in greeting as he walked into the Chapel and took his seat to my left. I looked at this man, a man of thirty, who I had helped raise almost his entire life. I helped shape him into the man he is today. By telling him to stay away from Lexi does that make me a hypocrite? Should I be staying away from my daughter as well? Fuck...

"Jax. How's my Grandson doing today? Gemma told me she saw you at the hospital." I said, avoiding the topic and avoiding showing him the envelope that sat on the table in front of me.

"He's good. Gets out of the toaster in a couple of weeks. Come on Clay. I appreciate you asking but we both know I'm here to listen to you tell me to stay away from Lexi. Before you even start let me tell you I won't stay away from her. I can't stay away from her. She's different than any other girl I've known, including Tara. My feelings for her are different." he replied. If it was any other girl other than my daughter we were talking about I'd be proud of him for being upfront about what he wants, but it's not any other girl...it's my Lexi-Kate.

"Look, Jax, I think you're a great VP and a good man but you're not the right man for my daughter. I'm not going to argue with you I'm just going to leave you here to read the letter that's in the envelope. It's the letter Lori wrote me before she died. I hope after you read it you will do the right thing. Either way, I want you and Opie on a protection run for Unser Trucking. You'll leave tomorrow and escort the truck up to Oregon. You'll be in Oregon for three days while the truck unloads and reloads. It will make a stop in Reno on the way back. You'll be there for two days before escorting the truck back to Charming. You'll be gone for two weeks. It's good money for you and Opie. It's also really good money for the club." I told him as I got up from my chair.

"Two weeks? Clay, I need to be here for the kid when he gets out of the incubator. I'll barely make it back by then. And if this is some ploy to keep me away from Lexi, it's not going to work. She and I will pick back up when I return to Charming." he replied, the outrage he was feeling apparent on his face and in his tone.

"Read the letter Jax. Make the right choice." I replied, walking out of the Chapel, closing the door behind me.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

What the fuck!? Did Clay really think this shit-ass errand he was sending me on would really keep Lexi and I apart? I'm fucking pissed, I couldn't help but think to myself as I lit a cigarette and then opened the envelope Clay had left on the table...

 _Clay-_

 _If you're reading this it means you've met our daughter...our Lexi-Kate. I have no doubt she has grown into a spectacular young woman. Even at eleven years old she's pretty remarkable. There is nothing ordinary about our daughter, Clay. I hope as you get to know her you will realize that._

 _Now, if Robert has stuck to my instructions, Lexi should be in her mid to late 20's when she gives you this letter. I'm hoping she is happily married by then and has given you a grandchild or two. If she's not married by the time she comes to find you in Charming I need you to do me a favor. Do the right thing, Clay. Make the unselfish right choice_ _and keep her away from SAMCRO. Don't let our baby follow in my path. Don't let her become an_ _Old Lady...or God-forbid a sweetbutt_ _or croweater. She deserves more than that. Protect my baby and her heart._

 _My heart Clay, all these years later, still remains broken. Broken by you and by Gemma. Robert is a good man, a good husband and a great dad to Lexi. I know he will continue to raise her the right way after I'm gone. Clay, you should know that even though you broke it, Robert has always known that my heart has still belonged to you all these years later. Be good to our baby and watch over her. I'll be watching over you both._

 _Forever Yours In_ _This Life And The Next-_

 _Lori_

"Fuck!" I swore out loud. I need to talk to Lexi and I need to talk to her before the morning. Clay's going to listen to a letter written to him twelve years ago by the woman who kept his daughter from him!? And how the fuck did Clay and my Mother break that woman's heart!? That would be something to deal with later. Lexi and I need to get some ground rules established before I leave Charming tomorrow morning.

I stormed out of the Chapel and saw Clay talking to Piney at the bar in the main room. I ignored them both and headed out to the lot. I sat on my bike and was fastening my helmet when my Mother pulled into the lot.

"Where are you off to baby? How did things go with Clay?" she asked as she walked over to my bike. I pulled the letter out of my kutte and gave it to her to read.

"Goddamn it. Lori never had what it takes to be an Old Lady. It was obvious to everyone but Clay. What are you going to do Jackson?" she demanded to know after reading it.

"I'm going to talk to Lexi about this. Clay is sending me and Ope on a two-week Unser protection run tomorrow morning. We're going up to Oregon and then to Reno. I'll be back just in time to hold Abel when he comes out of the incubator." I replied, bitterly.

"Jax, you need to make sure Lexi knows how you feel about her before you go. And no road pussy this trip. It will get back to Clay if you hook up while you're on the road and he'll use that to divide you and Lexi even more. Make sure you keep your dick in your pants, Jackson." she told me before assuring me she and Lexi would watch over not only Abel but Donna, Kenny and Ellie as well. Donna and Opie's twins were now three years old and quite a handful.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"There is no way Jax Teller tucked you into bed and slept with you all night long without trying anything else. I don't believe it!" Donna exclaimed after I finished filling her and Sophie in on my night. I had just walked into my office when they followed me in. "I don't really have any other details to give you, but even if I did it would have to wait until later today. I want to do a quick walk-thru of the salon, café and boutique before we open in thirty minutes." I said as I quickly glanced thru my e-mails. Nothing urgent to reply to now, thankfully.

Donna followed me down to the salon, not realizing she was in for a surprise of her own today. I was happy having the stylists and manicurists all dressed in black and the estheticians and massage therapists in a light purple Un-Southern Charm uniform, but as a manager Donna needs to stand out. She also needs to promote our products. Therefore, I was treating Donna to an Un-Southern makeover today. The full works...mani, pedi, facial, massage, cut, color, highlights, make-up application and a few new items to add to her wardrobe.

"So, Donna there's only one thing that has me concerned about the salon." I told her, trying to hide a smile. "What is it? I thought after how well yesterday went, everything was good up here." she said as she looked around worried and confused. "Oh, I'm very happy with the salon itself. But you my friend are the face of The Salon at Un-Southern Charm and we need to make sure you reflect the work of our talented staff. Enjoy your day of pampering." I told her, hugging her and then turning her over to Chelsea Unser.

Sophie and I continued downstairs to where all sorts of mouth-watering scents were coming out of the café's kitchen. "Is that?" was all I could get out before Sophie blurted that today's soup of the day was butternut-squash bisque, one of my favorites she makes from scratch. "I'll put it in a to-go container and you can eat it at the hospital while you visit Abel. But since I'm sure you didn't eat breakfast this morning let me warm you up a chocolate filled croissant. Sit at the counter for five minutes. I'll get you a chai latte as well." she said.

Minutes later I was in heaven. "You know your cooking is the reason I get up and run five miles every morning. I wouldn't be able to fit into my clothes otherwise." I teased my best friend as I finished my croissant and poured my latte in a to-go cup. "I'm pretty well staffed in the boutique today so if you need help in here let me know. My plan is to pop in and out of the café and salon throughout the day, each day I'm working, in order to get to know our clients on a personal level. I'll see you later." I said before walking across the foyer into the boutique.

"Good Morning Melissa. Good Morning Ashley. Y'all did such a wonderful job yesterday. I have a feeling today will be just as busy. It will probably be a week or two before things slow down a little. November should be steady with business picking up after Thanksgiving for the holiday rush. Susan will be in at 1:00pm to help cover breaks and assist you while I'm at St. Thomas." I told the boutique supervisors. They each would be working ten hour shifts four days a week once we got thru opening week. The plan was to have Melissa cover every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday with Ashley running things each Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. I was hoping with this supervisor schedule I would eventually be able to take Sundays and Mondays off. I had hired two other full-time sales associates and two part-time associates as well.

"Let's plan on having lunch on Friday in the café. We can discuss schedules from this point forward and review our first few days. Oh! What beautiful flowers!" I said, admiring the two dozen yellow and burnt orange roses that sat in a square glass vessel on the register counter.

"They were delivered for you about thirty minutes ago. Here's the card." Ashley said handing me the envelope. I opened it and almost cried as I read it...

 _"I'm watching_ _you. You can't believe how excited I am to see you again. Payback is a bitch and you will have to pay, Lexi."_

There was no signature or name. "Get rid of them, please." I instructed before walking in the direction of the changing rooms. I sat down in one of the rooms with the door closed. I had five minutes to pull myself together before we opened for the day. I was shaking but refused to cry. This has to be some sort of sick joke. Kohn still has to be in jail, I thought to myself.

"Lexi? Open the door." Sophie's voice softly called out. I opened the door, wordlessly handing her the card, walked out of the boutique to the building's entrance and opened Un-Southern Charm for the day. "Lex...we need to talk about this." Soph said coming up behind me. "Later. We have clients coming in." I replied, turning with a forced smile to greet the women walking thru the front door.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

I knew something was wrong when I saw Melissa run over from the boutique to get me. When I read the card Lexi handed me I realized what it was. Not feeling quite comfortable enough to trust Jax just yet, I decided to call the man who had become like a big brother to my best friend. I walked into the café's kitchen and grabbed my iPhone. I scrolled thru my contacts until I found the name I was looking for. I took a deep breath and as I listened to the phone ring, I hoped I was making the right choice.

"Hello?" a gruff sounding voice said, leading me to believe I had interrupted him in the middle of something. "Opie? It's Sophie. I need your help. It's about Lexi. Can you swing by the café around 1:00pm when she heads to St. Thomas? It's important."

After I managed to convince him not to mention it to Jax and he agreed to meet me, I walked back out to the front of the café to check on my customers. Thirty minutes later I was seating three women for an early lunch when I caught a glimpse of Lexi in the boutique. My beautiful, sweet best friend stood looking out the window with such a worried look on her face that my heart ached for her. Within seconds that look was gone and it was replaced with a smile, that didn't quite meet her eyes, as she greeted a customer.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I rode around for a bit before deciding to wait for Lexi at St. Thomas. It didn't seem right to bombard her with this shit at her store. I sat there, in the rocking chair in Abel's room, reading to him trying to envision our future. As I looked at my son I only saw one future...a future that included Lexi by my side, here in Charming.

"Hey! I didn't expect to see you here this afternoon! How's Abel doing?" Lexi asked, with a smile I knew was forced, as she walked into the room. There's something wrong and I couldn't help but wonder if Clay had already spoken with her. God, she's beautiful I then thought to myself as I looked at her in a black and white strapless knee length dress that she wore under a red leather jacket. Today she had on a pair of red heels with straps around the ankles that added at least four inches to her tiny 5' frame.

"You're gorgeous. You know you always manage to take my breath away, even when you're asleep in sweats on the couch." I said, making her blush before I kissed her. "Mmmmm...something smells good." I told her after ending the kiss. "Butternut-squash bisque from the café. My lunch. I'll share it with you if you want." she said handing me the container and a spoon before walking over to Abel's incubator.

"He looks so much better than he did six days ago. God, Jax I can't wait to pick him up, hold him and give him kisses! How did things go with Clay?" she asked, turning to look at me.

I didn't say a word. I reached into my kutte and pulled out the envelope, noticing her eyes widen with surprise as she recognized Clay's name on the outside of the envelope, written in her Mom's handwriting. "He told me to stay away from you and then gave me this to read. Before you read this I need to tell you that he's sending me on a two week protection run. Opie and I leave tomorrow at 5:00am. If we're going to do this Lexi and make it work we will need to set some ground rules for the both of us. I don't want the type of relationship Ope and Donna have. He can't tell her shit and even though he loves her it makes him miserable. I need a partner I can trust...one I can talk to about everything...the good, the bad and the ugly. Lexi, there's a lot of ugly in my life. I need to know what the right choice is for you. You can't just be halfway in, with one foot out the door. It's all or nothing. That's the only way we can have a relationship that will survive my SAMCRO life. Read the letter. I'll wait for you outside." I said handing her the envelope. As I walked out of the room I realized I had never been so honest with a female in my entire life.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Jesus Christ, Mom I thought to myself after I read the letter. She tells Clay to keep me away from SAMCRO but she gives me everything I need in order to take down SAMCRO. As my feelings for Jax have developed and I've fallen in love with that sweet baby boy in the incubator, I didn't think I would be able to follow thru with my Mother's plan. I couldn't hurt Jax and Abel that way. I couldn't betray Opie, who had become like a big brother to me. I wouldn't do it to Clay and Gemma. But there was something I could do. I could call Clay's bluff and let him make the right choice...the right choice for me and the right choice for the club.


	8. A Mayan, A Baby & An Old Lady

**A/N: WARNING - SEXUAL CONTENT. This chapter is a little longer than most I write but I didn't want to leave out any details. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **CLAY'S P.O.V. (10 DAYS LATER)**

"What the hell is wrong with her Gemma? She looks like she's lost weight and looks like she hasn't slept in the past ten days. She's jumpy and paranoid. Not only that but she hasn't said more than a dozen or so words to me since that day at the clubhouse. She's not acting this way just because Jax is gone, is she?" I asked my Old Lady as we got ready for bed.

"I don't know Clay. She hasn't really said much to me either. I don't know if it's due to the hours she has been working on top of visiting Abel three times a day. There has to be something going on. I'll head to St. Thomas in the morning and try to get some answers." Gemma responded as she fed her bird and covered the cage for the night.

"Sometimes I think you love that damn bird more than me." I told her. "Sometimes I do." she replied before crawling into bed. I wasn't paying attention though. I was thinking back to the day before Opie and Jax left for Unser's protection run.

 **FLASHBACK (11 DAYS AGO)**

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Unser is going to get me Kohn's last known location. Miles spotted him in Charming yesterday driving by Lexi's store. Jax and Opie are going to be gone for two weeks so I want to keep them out of this. Tig, reach out to Laroy. See if the Niners have an idea as to where the asshole is hiding. I'll make it worth his while if he can deliver Kohn alive. I need to know now if anyone has a problem with what I'm proposing. I'm not calling a vote because this is personal. So, if you have a problem I'm just going to suggest you excuse yourself now. No hard feelings or repercussions if you do." I said to my Brothers as I looked around the table.

"Clay, this is little LK we're talking about. I think I speak for all of us when I say we've all come to love that sweet girl and we're in. No matter what it takes." Chibs said. His words were met with nods of agreement by these men who loved and protected not only me and Gemma but my daughter as well. They would never know how much it means, I thought to myself as I looked around the table at Tig, Chibs, Happy, Kozik, Bobby, Piney, Quinn the former President of the Nomads and current Indian Hills patch who I was recruiting to join SAMCRO and Half Sack, who we would be patching in when Jax and Opie return from Unser's protection run.

"I'm looking forward to adding another smiley face to my collection. I have the perfect spot right below my heart." Happy, the Tacoma Killer, said causing laughter to erupt from the table.

Before another word could be said I heard four voices yelling out in the main room. "What the hell?" Tig asked as he got up from his chair and opened the Chapel doors.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"You can't keep barging into the Chapel Lexi, even if you are Clay's daughter. One of these days Tig is bound to shoot you if you keep it up." I said, trying to calm her down. Maybe letting her read her Mother's letter hadn't been the best idea.

"It's not funny, Jackson. Clay demands you make the right choice, well he's about to be surprised when I give him a choice to make. It's up to him...I can date you or I can date David Hale. I'm guessing the other charters won't be thrilled with the Daughter of the Mother Charter's President dating a Deputy Police Chief." she said in return, her anger evident in both her tone and her eyes.

"There's no way in hell that's happening! Don't even joke about it, Lexi. You're mine and I'll kill any man who dares to touch you, especially Hale!" I yelled back at her.

"Well Brother I think I know someone who is messing with Lexi that you may want to take your frustration out on." Opie interrupted as he walked into the clubhouse with Sophie behind him.

"What are you talking about?" I asked at the same time Lexi asked Sophie; "What are you doing here? Who's running things at Un-Southern?"

"Opie! This was supposed to stay between us for now. If she wanted Jax to know she would have told him herself!" I watched in disbelief as Sophie yelled at my best friend.

"Sophie, how could you?" Lexi yelled, her eyes shooting daggers at her best friend.

"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on here?" I yelled at the three of them.

"That's what I would like to know." Clay said, surprising us from the open doorway of the Chapel.

"Lexi received flowers today. The card threatened her and wasn't signed. Kohn always calls her Alexis and this card referred to her as Lexi, so I don't think they're from him. She might have another stalker. I called Opie because I know Lexi trusts him. I just didn't know I'd be walking into something like this when we came looking for Juice. Opie thought Juice could do some research and find out who sent the flowers." Sophie said to Clay.

"Why didn't you tell me? I can't protect you if I don't know these things Lexi. It's my job to keep you safe." I told her as I pulled her into her arms.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Deep down I knew Soph did the right thing by reaching out to Opie but I was ashamed and embarrassed that my private life was once again public knowledge.

"It's not your job to keep her safe. She's not your Old Lady. It's my responsibility as her Father to keep her safe." my Dad growled at Jax.

"I'll have Happy ink my crow on her right now. She and I are together Clay. You need to accept it." Jax shot back.

"Enough!" I screamed, moving out of Jax's embrace. "Both of you need to stop. I can take care of myself. No one is putting any sort of branding on me. Jesus, Jackson move fast much? And you, Clay, you need to make the right choice for all of us. I can either be with Jax or Deputy Chief David Hale. Your choice. Now since no one is running things at Un-Southern I need to get back to work." I said.

I didn't look at Jax. I walked over to my Dad and handed him the letter my Mom had written twelve years before. "This was a low blow, Clay. You never should have showed this to Jax. Now you really need to make things right." I told him before turning and walking out to the lot.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"You know, she only calls you Jackson instead of Jax and you Clay instead of Dad when she's upset with the two of you. Her temper was usually a lot more controlled in Savannah. The two of you bring out the feisty side of Lexi. I like it. Living in Charming is going to be more interesting than I originally thought it would be." my daughter's best friend said with a grin before she dashed out the door.

"Table...now...all of us." I growled as I turned and took my seat at the head of the table and slammed the gavel.

 **PRESENT DAY**

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I knew since Jax left on Unser's protection run Lexi had been at the hospital by 8:00am every morning, back by 1:15pm and back again most night's by 9:00pm. After my conversation with Clay the night before I knew I had to get to the bottom of what was going on with Lexi.

"Good Morning baby girl. How's Abel doing today?" I asked Lexi when I arrived at St. Thomas. "He's good. Growing like a weed and getting stronger every day. Three more days till he comes out of the incubator! Three more days till Jax and Opie come home." she replied, looking sad not happy at the prospect of seeing my son again.

"Lexi, your Dad and I are worried about you. You don't seem yourself. Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, extremely concerned as I took in her appearance. As always, she was dressed perfectly but her eyes were puffy and red with bags under them. Clay was right. It looked like she had lost at least ten pounds over the past eleven days.

She looked at me and her eyes filled with tears. "Okay. Give me your phone, Lexi. I'm going to call Sophie and tell her you're taking the day off. I'm going to have her come directly home after she finishes for the day. It's Sunday so she is taking a half day. I think she said she'll be done by 1:00pm. We'll do a small family dinner at your house...just Sophie, you, me, Clay, Chibs and Bobby." I told her, growing more worried by the moment.

After we stayed with Abel for an hour I told her it was time to go. We walked out to the main entrance and I noticed her hesitate before she walked outside. "I don't see Miles. He was supposed to be waiting for me." she whispered. I pulled out my phone and called the prospect. Straight to voicemail. Shit, I thought as I hear the roar of motorcycles approaching...motorcycles that didn't belong to any SOA member.

"Come on. Back inside to Abel's room, now." I instructed as I called Clay. "We have a problem at St. Thomas. Unwelcomed visitors and Miles is MIA. We need you here now." I ordered my Old Man. "Can you see who it is?" he asked. "Fuck, Clay. It's the Mayans. If Miles is missing then he's probably dead and they're coming for Lexi." I told him. "Get your ass here now." I said, ending the call.

"We need to hide now." I told Lexi, whose eyes went wide with fear when she heard me say the prospect was probably dead. I pulled on her hand but she dug her feet in. "What about Abel?" she asked. "They don't want him. They're coming for you. Let's go now." I ordered, pulling her into the hospital's Chapel.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I had been enjoying my morning coffee as I talked with Piney at the bar. Early in the morning and the old man was already drinking tequila. My prepay rang and I saw Gemma's number flash across the screen. "Hey baby. How's Abel?" I said as I answered the call. Piney would tell me later that a look of panic flashed across my face as Gemma told me what was going on...the Mayans were after my Daughter.

"Shithead, go wake everyone up. Tell them to get to St. Thomas ASAP. The Mayans are there and after my Daughter, my Old Lady and my Grandson." I shouted at a prospect as I ran out the door, hopped on my Harley and sped out of the lot.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Home three days early Brother! Life is good. I'm gonna swing by the hospital and see the kid before I head to TM." I yelled to Opie as we passed the Welcome To Charming sign on our way back into town.

We continued down the road and as we were stopped at the red light where Ope would turn right to head home and I'd go left, we saw Clay speeding down the road by himself in the direction of St. Thomas. Abel, was all I could think of as I went thru the red light and followed Clay, with Opie behind me.

"What the fuck is going on?" I shouted to Clay as I caught up to him. "Mayans are at St. Thomas looking for Lexi. She and Gemma are hiding." he yelled back. "Fucking Alvarez. I'll kill him if he lays a finger on her." I yelled as we pulled into the parking lot at St. Thomas.

 **CLAY'S** **P.O.V.**

"Make a wrong turn Alvarez? Last I heard brown used a different hospital outside of Charming." I said to the President of the Mayan's MC when Jax, Opie and I met him at the front doors to St. Thomas. I heard the roar of Harley's and saw the rest of SAMCRO pull to a stop behind us.

"Was trying to get your attention Clay. I heard your pretty little Daughter has been spending a lot of time playing Mommy to your VP's sick baby. We need to talk. I'll let you know the time and place. You come alone. If you follow my instructions I'll return your Daughter to you in one piece." he said as he whistled and his number two, who was also his son, Esai, came out with a gun to Lexi's head.

"Alvarez! You don't have to do this man. You have our attention and one of our prospects. Let the girl go." Jax yelled.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I watched in horror and amazement as Lexi pretended to stumble and fell to the ground. Tig sprang forward and held a gun to Esai's forehead. With the sound of sirens approaching, it was assumed hospital security had called Charming PD, forcing the Mayans to scatter without Lexi.

"Kozik, get Lexi out of here now." Clay instructed. I watched as Kozik picked a shaken Lexi up off the ground. He was escorting her to her Range Rover when she stopped in front of me. "I hope you and the blonde had a good time in Reno." she said as she slapped a manila envelope across my chest.

I watched in silence as she got in the passenger side of her Range Rover and Kozik drove them out of the lot with Quinn, Half-Sack and Filthy Phil escorting them. I looked at Clay, Tig, Chibs, Happy, Bobby, Rat and Opie with a look of anger on my face. "Go see your Son. I need to find your Mother. We'll meet at the table in an hour." Clay said.

Everyone dispersed and I opened the envelope. Inside were pictures of me in Reno two nights before with a blonde woman wrapped in my arms. Our plan worked. Kohn had followed me. As much as I hated deceiving Lexi and letting her think I betrayed her, the whole plan worked. The blonde was actually Montez's, the VP of the Reno Charter, Old Lady. We needed it to look real. Obviously, Lexi thought it was real. She thought the Mayan deal was real as well. The sound of sirens was Miles sitting with Unser in his police car on the other side of the hospital. It was good to have the Chief as a friend of the Club at times like this. We weren't sure who was working with Kohn, watching and listening to us, so we needed to put on a front at all times.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"I thought you were taking me home?" I asked Kozik as we pulled into TM an hour later. We had driven around in circles to make sure we weren't followed by the Mayans. "Clay wants you here. You'll be safer here until he figures out what to do next." he replied as we walked across the lot and into the clubhouse. I stopped short when we walked in. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Marcus Alvarez and his son, Esai, were at the bar having a drink with my Dad. "What the fuck?" I asked as I also noticed Gemma and Jax talking with the blonde from the photos and a guy in a SOA Reno kutte.

"Lexi, let's sit down while Clay explains everything to you." Gemma said, coming over and wrapping an arm around my shoulders as she lead me to a couch. I sat down and didn't say a word as my Dad explained the elaborate trap they set for Josh Kohn. A plan that, apparently, I did not need to know more of. All I was told if everything went according to plan it would be over by Halloween and I wouldn't have to worry about Kohn ever again.

"So you didn't cheat on me?" I asked Jax. "You tell me. I didn't hook up with anyone, if that's what you're getting at. There was no road pussy, but if there had been would it have been cheating? Are you ready to admit that you're mine?" he responded. I blushed, thinking how ass backwards this all was but knew I wanted Jax and Abel in my life. They were my future. I looked at Clay. "I still have my reservations but I'm not going to stand in the way of your happiness Lexi-Kate." he told me.

"Yes. I admit it." I said with a smile. Jax picked me up, tossed me over his shoulder fire-fighter style and headed in the direction of his dorm. "Excuse us. We have unfinished business to take care of." he called back as my face turned a bright red. "We're on a mini lockdown until further notice. Sophie's coming with stuff for Lexi. Family dinner is at 4:00pm. You have four hours to take care of your unfinished business." Gemma called out after us.

Jax opened the door of his dorm and as he put me down I noticed it was very clean. Gemma must have cleaned it I thought to myself as I looked around, taking notice of the queen-size bed, the desk and dresser. There was an SOA flag with the reaper on it hanging over his bed. There were framed photos on the top of the dresser. The photos were of Jax and his SAMCRO Brothers, him and Gemma, Jax and his brother Thomas and finally one of Jax, Thomas, Gemma and Jax's Dad JT. JT's flag, the one given to Gemma at his funeral, was displayed in a glass and wood case on a shelf above the desk.

"Jax..." I murmured softly as he pushed my hair to the left side of my neck. He was standing behind me, nibbling on my neck as his hands removed my gray suede jacket. The jacket fell to the floor and then he slowly unzipped the back of the black dress I had on. He slid it down my arms and slipped it off my body, leaving it in a pool at my feet. He spun me around and took a step back. "Holy fuck, Lexi." he said as he took in my sheer lace black bra, matching thong and garter.

He pushed me lightly back onto the bed. I propped myself up on my elbows as I watched him drop to his knees. He slowly unzipped my knee high gray suede boots and removed them one at a time. He ran his fingers up my legs and as his left hand stopped at my knee the right hand continued until it reached my very wet pussy. He looked at me. I raised an eyebrow and grinned as he pulled his finger out and licked it. "Beautiful, sweet Lexi." he said as he unhooked my thigh-highs and slipped me out of the thong and garter. His mouth moved its way up my legs and stopped where his fingers had teased me moments ago. As I felt an orgasm start to build his hands worked their way towards my breasts. He unclipped the clasp on the front of my bra. He pinched my already taut nipples between his fingers causing a sensation, which combined with his tongue still working on my pussy made me orgasm. "Jax!" I called out. "Oh God!" I yelled as my hands tugged on his hair.

He looked at me, grinned and then let his mouth work its way up my body to my nipples. He teased with his tongue and nibbled with his teeth as his fingers went back to work playing with my clit. Unable to take it anymore I pulled his mouth back to mine and rolled him onto his back. I straddled him as I pulled his long sleeve shirt over his head and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. I moved off the bed pulling his jeans off and leaving him only in his boxers. I could see how hard he was. I got on my knees and slowly ran my mouth across his abs above the top of his boxers. I removed his boxers and let my tongue lick his hard shaft, pausing only to tease the head. I opened wide and took his rock-hard cock deep inside my mouth. I began to let my mouth move up and down at a slow pace causing him to moan with pleasure. I pulled back, looking up at him with a smirk as I licked my lips enjoying the small taste I had just received of him.

"I can't take it anymore." he said as he flipped me onto my back. "Are you..." he started. "Yes. I'm on the pill. Please Jax...I need you now...fuck me." I begged. He was on his knees in an instant and lifted my hips up as he thrusted into me over and over again going deeper and deeper. "Your so fucking tight. God Lexi. I'm going to burst. You feel so fucking unbelievable." he said as he thrusted harder into me. "Oh God...Jax!" I held on to him tighter as I cried out as another orgasm spasmed thru my entire body. "Lexi!" he replied as I felt him loose control, cumming moments after I did.

We laid there without moving for a few minutes before he rolled off me and onto his back. "Holy shit." he said. "Yeah. I'm a fan of foreplay but we had five months of foreplay. It's been over a year since I've done the horizontal mambo with anyone. I don't know if I can walk anytime soon." I replied with a grin as he pulled my head onto his chest. We must have fallen asleep after that because we were woken up to Sophie knocking on his door. "Lexi! I'm leaving your overnight bag out here. Gemma wanted me to remind you dinner is in 45 minutes." she called out.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was in love with this girl. She faced the Mayans without freaking out and without knowing it was part of the plan to capture Kohn. She was amazing in bed and in the shower. Besides being gorgeous and smart she didn't judge me or my SAMCRO lifestyle I thought to myself, as we laid in bed in my dorm, later that night. Lexi and Sophie were under the protection of the Sons until Kohn was taken care of. If I have my way Lexi will always be under my protection.

"I want you to get inked with my crow...before Abel comes home next month." I told her as I lazily traced circles on her back with my fingers. We had retreated back to my dorm after dinner and had just made love for the third time today. I felt a stirring in my body and knew that I already wanted her again.

She was laying on her stomach half-asleep when she lifted her head off the pillow. I could see her blue eyes peeking out thru her wildly curly red hair. "Really? Jax you know what that means, right?" she asked. I pushed her hair out of her face and said, "Yes. It means you'll be my Old Lady. I love you Lexi. You and Abel are my future." Without saying a word she smiled, kissed me and made love to me one more time before we fell asleep. it wasn't until the day Abel came out of the toaster that she finally answered me.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (3 DAYS LATER)**

It's the day Abel comes out of the incubator! We were all so excited to finally be able to hold him. I've spent the past three nights with Jax in his dorm. Sophie and I would finally be able to go home tomorrow whether they found Kohn or not. Each day at work I've had Kozik, Happy and Quinn as my babysitters. I was surprised they hadn't managed to scare the clientele away.

"You're up early." Jax said as I walked out of the shower. "I'm just excited to hold Abel I guess. I didn't mean to wake you. I tried to be quiet. I wasn't sure what time you got back last night. Any luck on finding Kohn?" I replied hoping he wouldn't mention me getting his crow again. "Nope. The lead from Laroy was a dead end. You took today and tomorrow off, right?" he asked. "Yes. My plan since tomorrow night is Halloween is to give candy out to the trick-or-treaters. It's something Sophie and I do together every year. We've spent every Halloween together since we were kids." I told him.

A few hours later Jax, Gemma, my Dad and I stood in Abel's hospital room and watched Tara remove him from the incubator. "Here you go." she said as she gently placed him in Jax's arms for the first time. "Watch his head." she gently instructed as she gazed at Jax with a look of love across her face. I knew then, at that moment, she was back in Charming to get Jax back. Gemma and I both looked at Jax holding Abel with tears of happiness in our eyes. After a few minutes of holding his Son, I saw Jax look at Gemma. She smiled as she held her Grandson in her arms. Jax put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Here Lexi. Your turn." Gemma said as she handed Abel to me. "Hi, my little love. I told you that I'd be holding you soon." I said as I kissed his little forehead. "He has your eyes, Jax. Actually, I see a lot of you in him." I said softly as Abel made a fist around my finger. "He recognizes your voice." Jax said. I looked at him and then back down at Abel. My heart was full of love...fuller than it had ever been. I knew at that moment what I needed to do. "I love you, Jax. Move in with me." I said to Jax. "Get my crow." he replied. "Yes." I said easily. It was all so simple at that moment. I smiled up at Jax who leaned down and kissed me. Neither of us noticed Tara leave the room.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was going to have Lexi inked with my crow as soon as we got back to the clubhouse. And unlike when Tara got my crow, Lexi's will be visible. I knew, because of her business, it would need to be somewhat delicate. I was fine with that as long as it's visible.

"You want it done now? I don't know where to put it." she said as we rode back to the clubhouse on my bike a few hours later. "How about here." I suggested as I kissed the inside of her right wrist when we were stopped at a red light. "Okay." she said. I could hear, even over the roar of the Harley, there was a smile in her voice.

"Yo, Hap!" I shouted when Lexi and I walked hand-in-hand into the clubhouse. "What's up, VP?" he asked in return. "I need you to draw up three tats. One for Lexi and two for me." I responded.

We grabbed a seat at one of the tables by the bar and Happy got to work sketching our tattoo. Lexi's crow is all black with blue eyes. There is a kelly-green Celtic Knot woven in and out of the crow, reflecting out Irish heritage. Written in a Celtic script above the crow were the words "Property Of". Those words were completed below the crow with "Jackson Teller." "You only call me Jackson when you're mad at me." I said to her. "I wouldn't get mad and call you Jackson if I didn't love you." she replied.

Happy sketched my tats before he started Lexi's ink. I was going to have Abel's name in an old English script across the left side of my chest, over my heart. Lexi's name would be going on the inside of my right forearm.

"Shot of tequila?" Happy asked Lexi before he started. "I'll take a shot of Jameson and a Bud Light." she replied. "Here you go, Lexi." Rat said, putting her drinks in front of her. "Yo, shithead! Where's mine?" I asked. "Sorry VP. Here you go." Rat said returning with a shot and beer for me. "Slainte." Lexi toasted, holding her shot up to me and Happy.

"Lexi, I have to ask, before Happy starts, you're sure about this?" Clay asked Lexi. "Strangely enough I've never been so sure about anything else in my entire life. I promise Dad. Please be okay with this. Be happy for me." she replied. "You know what this means, right Lexi-Kate? It means your Old Man's word is law. I have a feeling you and Jax will have a relationship that is different than what most patches have with their Old Lady's. I just need to make sure you know what you are getting into." he told her. I was starting to get pissed. She made her choice. Clay needed to accept it. "I do know. This is what I want. Jax is who I want." she replied as she turned and flashed me a brilliant smile. "Guess you better get started then, Hap." Clay instructed as the sound of the tattoo needle was heard throughout the clubhouse's main room.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Congratulations baby girl! I know you'll be the perfect Old Lady for my Son and a wonderful Mother to my Grandson." Gemma said as she hugged me.

"Holy shit Lex! I couldn't believe it when Opie told Donna and I. What about your Mom's request?" Sophie whispered when she walked up to me at the bar. "I held Abel today and knew I had to do this. I need to protect him Soph and this is the way to do it." I replied.

"Property Of?" she asked, looking at my tattoo with a worried look in her eyes. "It's the Sons of Anarchy way. You've been in Charming long enough to know that." I reminded her. "Do you truly love Jax?" she asked softly. I knew she was once again thinking of my Mom's deathbed request. Before I could respond we were interrupted by an intoxicated Bobby.

"Ladies, shots are on me tonight in celebration of the newest Old Lady to join our SAMCRO family!" Bobby told us as a bottle of Jameson was placed in front of us. I poured Soph and I a shot and looked across the room where Jax was talking to Opie and Chibs and thought to myself, yes, I really do love him.


	9. Joy And Pain

**A/N: WARNING - DIFFICULT CONTENT. This is a long one but there was a lot to cover in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"God it feels good to be home." I said to Sophie, on Halloween morning as we walked into my house. "It smells a lot better here than at the clubhouse, that's for damn sure." I continued as we walked down the hallway towards the bedrooms. I dropped my bag on my bed and walked into the guest room, which had been converted into Sophie's room when she moved to Charming.

"What's going on Soph? You've been unusually quiet today. Talk to me." I said, as I settled myself on the window seat in her bedroom.

"I was going to wait until I ran the idea by Gemma first before talking to you." Sophie replied as she sat crossed-legged on her bed facing me. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue, wondering why she would go to Gemma for anything before me.

"Since Jax and Abel will officially be living with you in less than a month I thought it might be time for me to get my own place. Now, before you tell me there's no rush and this house with its four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, office, family room, dining room, kitchen and mancave in the making is plenty big for all of us I think it's important that you, Jax and Abel have your privacy to get acclimated to your new family life." she replied.

"I appreciate that Soph, and yes I'm going to tell you there's no rush, but why would you go to Gemma about this?" I asked, still confused.

"Because I want to buy Jax's house and wasn't sure how to approach it with the two of you since it's not on the market. I didn't know if Wendy would be moving back in or not when she gets out of rehab. Plus, there's a lot of updates that I want to do and I don't want to offend anyone in SAMCRO's corner. Besides adding a pergola and patio out back, along with an in-ground pool, I want to refinish the exterior with a light gray stucco, really open up the windows and completely re-do the entire landscaping. I'll get rid of that atrocious looking carport and replace it with a garage. On the inside I want to get rid of the carpet and replace it with hardwood floors before knocking down a few walls. I'll expand the kitchen and install all new appliances. I want to make it an open concept with the kitchen opening up into the living room and dining room before adding a half bath off the kitchen. I'd like to also add a master bath, making the house a three bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home. I wanted to talk to Gemma because it looks like the roof and chimney need to be replaced. I was going to get her opinion on how to address it with Jax." she replied, painting a picture that clearly detailed what my best friend was going to do in order to create her dream home.

"You're going to stay in Charming with me!" I exclaimed, jumping up from the window seat and tackling Sophie on the bed to give her a giant hug. "I had hoped but wasn't sure you would stay after we got Un-Southern up and running. We both know this life, this town, is kind of crazy. Soph, you have no idea how happy you've made me."

"I told you. We're family. We've been family for twenty-one years. Where you go, I go. Plus, I have ideas on how to expand the Un-Southern brand, starting here in Charming. Can't do that if we're not together. So, what do you think Jax will say?" she replied.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Opie and I had swung by Lexi's, on our way to meet with Alvarez, so I could let her know I would be by later tonight and would probably start moving some of my stuff in over the weekend. We stood, outside Sophie's room, listening to the end of the conversation about my house. I heard the excitement in Lexi's voice and knew, based on Sophie's description, those changes were going to add up. Unsure of her financial situation and based on how happy she made my Old Lady, I knew what I needed to do. I looked at Opie, grinned and stepped into the doorway.

"I hate to interrupt but if you really want to know my opinion I'd tell you to get a quote from Oswald on total construction costs. I'll cover the roof, chimney, a new garage and the cost of removing whatever walls you want gone. The rest of the modifications are on you. I'll sell it to you at a fair price and also have Juice install a new security system as a housewarming gift. But in return you need to do something for me." I told Sophie, trying not to laugh at the stunned expressions on hers and Lexi's faces.

"Sure. Anything." she replied. "Since you and Lexi consider yourselves sisters that would make you Abel's Aunt. I would also like you to be his Godmother." I told her.

"Oh, Jax." Lexi drawled softly. I knew how happy I had just made her and that's what mattered more than anything.

"I'd be honored! I can't thank you enough Jax. I don't know how to thank you. Seriously." Sophie replied. "I know how you could thank him. You could send Donna home with more of that roast chicken you served in the café last week. Oh, and maybe more of that butternut squash bisque." Opie replied, causing me to laugh.

"We're not crashing your Halloween. Just wanted to let you know Kozik, Quinn and Miles will be outside until I get back tonight. Don't leave this house without taking a patch with you. I should be home before midnight." I told Lexi, taking her in my arms and kissing her thoroughly.

"Love you. Be safe." Lexi whispered breathlessly. "Love you too. Bye Soph." I called out as Opie and I headed towards the front door.

"Brother, that was really nice of you. I was afraid you were going to let Wendy move back in when she gets out of rehab." Opie said as we walked outside. "Nope. When I paid off the crankhoe to sign her parental rights over to me the deal was that she never return to Charming. The divorce will be final at the end of the year and I don't care if she takes that settlement money and pumps it into her veins. I'm done with the bitch. She almost killed my son because she couldn't stay clean. She's lucky I didn't kill her." I replied, starting my bike and riding out of the driveway of my home with Lexi. The home we would share with our son, Abel, and our future children.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (3 WEEKS LATER)**

The next three weeks flew by and it was the week of Thanksgiving and the day Abel would come home from St. Thomas. Jax had moved in and Sophie was still living with us. I convinced her to stay until Oswald Construction finished the renovations on her house. Sophie and I managed to get our schedules at Un-Southern under control, and like Donna, we were both only working five days a week. However, from now until the end of the year we would both be back to six or seven days a week with the holiday rush.

The only hiccup in my relationship with Jax, so far, seemed to be my work schedule. With his hours at the TM Garage and his SAMCRO duties combined with my hours at Un-Southern we were at a loss as to what to do with Abel. Yes, there would be days I could take him with me but not every day. Word of this, somehow got back to Gemma and she told me on the days I couldn't take Abel with me she and Neeta, her housekeeper / partner-in-crime, would take care of him. Gemma, thankfully saves the day once again, I thought to myself as I did my daily five-mile run.

I got home and quietly closed the front door behind me. It had been almost daylight when Jax got home and I didn't want to wake him. SAMCRO's plan to catch Kohn had not come to fruition yet and I knew it was driving Jax and my Dad crazy. I walked into the room that was now Abel's nursery and smiled. The room with hardwood floors had been painted a light blue and there was a blue, gray and white area rug covering the middle of the room. The furniture consisting of a crib, changing table, dresser and three tier bookshelf, was a dark cherry walnut. The rocking chair, which matched the rest of the furniture, was set in the corner and had a blue and white afghan folded over the back of it. The cribs mattress was covered with a blue fitted sheet. Sophie had found a light blue baby blanket on-line that had Harleys on it. She had it embroidered with his name and birth date. That blanket was folded over the end of the crib. On the wall above the crib was Abel's name, spelled in white wooden block letters. There were a variety of stuffed animals, and stuffed Harleys, displayed around the room. The bookshelf was full of children's books and the top shelf was covered with framed photos...photos of Jax and his Brothers...Jax with Gemma, JT and Thomas...me and Jax on his Harley...me and Jax holding Abel the first day he came out of the incubator...Sophie holding Abel...Gemma and Clay holding Abel...me, Jax, Gemma, Clay and Abel...Opie holding Abel.

Opie...we had a problem there. Not completely with Opie, but more so with Donna, I thought to myself as I walked out of the nursery and down the hall towards the kitchen. Donna was doing an amazing job at the salon but was still refusing to attend Sunday dinners at Gemma's because it was SAMCRO. She told us last week that she, Opie and the twins would not be attending Thanksgiving Dinner at Gemma's because it was SAMCRO. They would be eating at home, just the four of them. When I mentioned it to Jax he told me Donna was resentful of the club. She held the club responsible for the two years Opie did in Stockton when Kenny and Ellie were newborns. I was unsure how to help bridge the gap. Anyone, with any common sense, could see the way it was affecting Opie. Not only that but I've noticed some interesting glances occurring between Sophie and Opie lately and that had me worried.

"Morning Lexi." Sophie greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. "Soph, it's not even 6:30am! How long have you been up?" I asked as I saw pies, cakes, pastries and a cake on the counter. I walked closer and my eyes filled with tears. It was Abel's Welcome Home cake. The two-tier square cake was done in blue and white. On the top was a Harley and a baby carriage, made out of fondant. "Soph, it's beautiful!" I exclaimed. "Thanks. I wanted to make sure there were plenty of desserts for his party tonight. Plus, we got more dessert orders at the café for Thanksgiving this week. I trying to do most of the desserts here so I can use the café's kitchen for the turkeys and all the fixings. I think I'm prepping close to twenty-five orders for Thanksgiving dinners this week." she replied.

"Let me know if I can do anything. At least you don't have to worry about cooking ours. Gemma said we just need to bring a couple of pies and a few bottles of wine...and her Grandson, of course." I said with a smile as I grabbed a chocolate croissant off the counter and went to get ready for the day.

Five hours later Jax, Gemma, Clay and I met at St. Thomas. We watched as Jax signed all the necessary paperwork for Abel's release. Dr. Namid said goodbye to Abel and left us with Tara. "Jax you have my number if you need anything. Day or night, I'll be available." she told him. I looked at Gemma, who was holding Abel, with a raised eyebrow. Seriously, this bitch was starting to get under my skin. Unsure, as how to tactfully handle the situation, on a day like today I decided to ignore Tara. Gemma, however, had other ideas.

"Thank you, Doc for everything you've done for my Grandson while he was at St. Thomas. I think Jax and his Old Lady Lexi, Abel's parents, have it from here." Gemma said, handing Abel to me in order to make her point. I saw the surprise on Tara's face as she looked me up and down, I'm sure wondering where Jax's crow was on my body. I shifted Abel, and slightly extended my right wrist, giving her a glimpse of the crow as the sleeve of my jacket moved up my arm, before turning to Jax and saying "Let's go home."

"The two of you are diabolical...scary together." my Dad said to Gemma and I with a grin as they watched me strap Abel into his car seat in the back of my Range Rover. I climbed into the back seat next to him and Jax got into the driver's seat. "We'll see you in a bit at your house." Gemma called out as we pulled out of the lot and headed home.

"I have something to show you." I told Jax a few hours later, after Abel had been fed and put down for a nap. I grabbed the baby monitor and walked out of the nursery. "Oh really?" Jax asked, coming up behind me, putting his hands on my hips and began to nuzzle my neck. "Haha. Not that. We don't have time for that before Gemma and Clay show up but come with me." I replied taking his hand and leading him thru the kitchen and downstairs into the basement.

"Lexi! Are you kidding me? When did you do this?" he asked as he looked around his mancave. A mancave with a fully stocked oak bar with three barstools, an oak desk with an oversized leather desk chair and a giant dark leather sectional set in front of a 60" flatscreen. There were two oak end tables that flanked the sectional and a giant oak coffee table in the center of the sectional. There were also a variety of video games, DVD's and a popcorn machine along with a brand-new pool table. The SOA Reaper flag had been framed and hung on the wall behind the couch. Family photos, SAMCRO photos and old black and white photos of Charming had been framed and displayed in prominent locations around the room.

"I thought you would want your own space at times. I have my office that I can retreat to, but knew you needed something of your own as well." I replied with a smile.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

At that moment I decided to tell Lexi about Wendy signing over her parental rights. I want her to legally adopt Abel but before I could bring it up we heard my Mother's voice announcing her arrival.

"Hey baby. Where's my Grandson?" Gemma asked when Lexi and I walked into the kitchen. "He's down for a nap. He'll be up in about an hour. Just before everyone gets here." Lexi replied. Are you hungry? I thought we could eat now." she said as she pulled an antipasto platter out of the fridge, along with all the fixings for meatball sandwiches. I honestly don't know where she finds the time. "Here. Snack on this and I'll make everyone a sub with provolone cheese, homemade meatballs and homemade sauce. The meatballs and sauce have been warming in the crock pot all day." she told us.

Forty-five minutes later I heard Abel over the monitor. "I'll be right back." I said. I picked him up out of the crib, changed his diaper and brought him into the kitchen. "Here he is." I said holding him out to my Mother. "Can we talk for a minute?" I asked Lexi. "Jax, there's no time. I need to get the food out and stock the coolers on the back deck. Soph is picking up ice on her way home." she replied. I sighed knowing the adoption conversation would have to wait.

"Everything okay, Son?" Clay asked, following me out to the garage to grab a beer. "Yeah. Just need to run something by Lexi." I replied, knowing he thought it was only a matter of time before I fucked things up with my Old Lady.

"Jax! Donna's walking up the driveway with Ope and the kids! She's finally coming to a SAMCRO event!" Lexi called out from the doorway to the garage. Clay and I followed Lexi back out to the kitchen. "I'm so happy you came!" I watched my Old Lady greet her friend with a hug before hugging my Brother and the twins. "Uncle Jax!" Ellie called out running to me on her little legs with her arms outstretched. "Ugh. I think you're getting too big for me to pick you up." I teased her, knowing I was playing the game she loved. "No, I'm not." she pouted and then giggled as I swung her up into my arms. "Where's the baby?" she asked. "Let's go find him, munchkin." I replied as her chubby little hand tugged on my goatee.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"He's so good with her." I said to Sophie as the rest of the Winston family followed Jax and Ellie into the family room where Gemma was holding court with Abel.

"I think that little blonde is going to be your competition for Jax's heart." my best friend teased as I poured us both a glass of wine.

"Better that blonde than the bottled-blonde pornstar." I replied, referring to Ima.

Two hours later we were almost out of beer and ice. "Jax, I need to run to the store. I'll be back in twenty minutes." I told him. "I'll go with you. We can take Ope's truck and throw the ice and cases of beer in the back." Donna replied. "Miles, Rat follow them." Jax instructed before kissing me.

"Shit, the truck is blocked in by bikes." Donna said as we walked outside. "No worries. I have my keys on me. We can take my car but you'll have to drive. I've had three glasses of wine and that's one more than my driving limit." I told her before handing her my keys and hopping into the passenger seat.

'So, what's going to happen when Wendy comes back from rehab? Have you and Jax talked at all about letting her see Abel?" Donna asked as we cruised the streets of Charming heading towards the liquor store. "We haven't talked about it. Ultimately, I guess it's Jax's decision but if my Old Man has half a brain he will keep that crankhoe away from our Son." I replied looking in the side view mirror out my window.

"Uh, Donna...don't freak out but you may want to pick up the pace a little. There's a SUV back there trying to get past Miles and Rat. Keep driving...I'm going to call Jax." I said trying not to panic.

"Jax! We're being followed. There's a SUV trying to get past Miles and Rat." I said when he answered the phone as Donna swerved to pass the car in front of us. Miles and Rat had to slow down to avoid hitting the car and the SUV took the opportunity to pass them, swerving on purpose to try to run Miles and Rat off the road.

"Jax! He passed Miles and Rat. Shit! We're coming to a red light and there are cars stopped ahead of us." I sobbed, legitimately scared for my life and for Donna's. "We're on our way baby. I have to hang up but we'll catch up in a few minutes. Just don't let him catch you." Jax said ending the call.

"Lexi! We have to stop. There's oncoming traffic. I can't go around them." Donna cried as she slowed down. At that moment I heard the sound of gunfire followed by the shattering of glass and I looked to my left. Donna was slumped down in the driver's seat. Blood was splatter all over the windshield and all over me. "Donna!" I screamed as I grabbed the wheel and turned it to the right. I wasn't quick enough though and the Range Rover crashed into a telephone pole. As I pulled back from the airbag I heard footsteps coming around to my side of the car. More shots were fired and I felt a searing pain in my right side as I looked out the window. I couldn't believe who I saw standing next to the shooter.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

My heart sank when I answered Lexi's call and heard the panic in her voice. I saw the fear I was feeling reflected in Opie's eyes when I put the call on speaker. "Cherry, take the twins and Abel into the nursery." I heard Half-Sack instruct his Old Lady. I hated to end the call but knew I needed to in order to save my Old Lady. I ran out the door and hopped on my bike with Opie, Clay and the others on my tail.

By the time we reached the accident site it had been taped off by the cops. I saw Hale and Unser approach us as I ducked under the tape shouting Lexi's name. Opie was next to me hollering for Donna. "Jax, Opie. I need you to hold up here. This is an active crime scene." Hale said solemnly. He took a step to the left and we watched as a black tarp was placed over a body in the distance.

"Hale. Who is it?" I heard Bobby ask as I took a step forward. "Jax, wait here for a second." Unser said. Oh, God no...not Lexi...it can't be, I thought to myself until I heard Opie scream like he was in pain. "Donna...no Donna...no..." he yelled as he fell next to the tarp. "Opie, no. You're not going to want to see her like this." Hale said as he attempted to pull Opie away from the tarp.

"Lexi?" I questioned Unser. "On her way to St. Thomas. Bullets hit her right side. Looks like she was shot after the Range Rover crashed." he replied. I looked at Clay and then back at Opie. My heart was breaking for my Brother, for my best friend, but I needed to see Lexi. "We got this Brother. Go check on your Old Lady." Chibs said. I didn't need to be told twice. I ran back to my bike with Clay, Tig and Half-Sack behind me, speeding off in the direction of St. Thomas.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

As soon as Unser called me, Sophie and I left Abel, Kenny and Ellie with Cherry and somehow made it to St. Thomas before the ambulance transporting Lexi did. We watched, horrified, as Lexi was taken out of the ambulance on a gurney. We didn't know at that point if it was all her blood or if some of it was Donna's.

"Gemma, I need to talk to Jax before they take me for surgery." she whispered when she saw me. "Please don't let them take me yet." she called out as they wheeled her away.

"Oh my God. Gemma..." Sophie looked at me, her green eyes filled with fear and unshed tears. "I know baby. Come on. Let's go inside and wait." I told her. I put my arm around her shoulders and hurried through the emergency room doors, unable to shake the feeling that we were being watched.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Gemma. Where's Lexi?" I asked as Jax, Tig and Half-Sack followed me into the waiting room. "They took her into surgery ten minutes ago. We talked to her when they first brought her in. She was conscious. She wanted to talk to you Jax before they took her in to surgery but the Doctor didn't want to wait." my Old Lady told us.

I watched as my VP...my Stepson...my Daughter's Old Man collapsed into a chair and put his heads in his hands. Sophie sat next to him and tried to offer words of comfort.

"What aren't you telling me, Gemma?" I quietly asked my Old Lady. "There was a lot of blood Clay. I don't know if it was hers or Donna's. Oh my God Clay...what is Opie going to do? Those poor babies will have to grow up without a Mother." Gemma said as tears began to fall. I took her into my arms and tried to comfort her as I silently prayed for my Daughter.

"Clay, there's one other thing. When Sophie and I were outside after Lexi was wheeled in, I felt like we were being watched. I didn't see anyone but I swear there was someone out there." Gemma told me in a soft tone, preventing Jax from overhearing.

Before another word could be said the doors to the waiting room opened and Opie walked in followed by Bobby, Chibs, Kozik, Happy, Quinn, Filthy Phil, Miles and Rat.

I had been told that the truck had pretty much run Miles and Rat off the road. I was thankful to see they were in one piece. "Phil, Quinn and Kozik. I want you at Jax's house watching over Cherry and the kids. Anything looks out of place you call me right away." I instructed.

"Tig, reach out to Laroy and Alvarez. Find out if they have heard anything." I told my Sargent-At-Arms.

"Opie, I'm so sorry man." Jax said as Gemma and I watched him hug his Brother with tears streaming down both their faces. "How's Lexi?" Opie asked in return. "Still in surgery." I replied, walking over to Opie with Gemma next to me. "Opie, whatever you need. Whatever you and the kids need." Gemma told him unable to stop the sobs that took over her body.

"Family of Alexis Morrow?" a hospital surgeon asked as he walked into the waiting room that had once again been taken over by SAMCRO.

"Here." multiple voices said at once as everyone stood up. "Uh, is there a next of kin or someone who has power of attorney over her medical care?" the surgeon replied.

"I'm her Father." I told him. "Mr. Morrow, if we could speak privately for a moment. Please follow me." the Doctor told me, gesturing towards the hallway.

"Clay..." Jax called out.

"Doc, whatever you need to say can be said here. These people are all part of the family and love my Daughter." I replied, wrapping my arms around Gemma and bracing myself for whatever bad news was about to be delivered.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Thank you, God, I thought as I listened to the Doctor. Lexi was going to be okay. Yes they would have to perform another surgery to remove the third bullet but even with all the blood loss she was going to be okay.

"Jax..." I turned when I heard Opie call my name. My best friend's life had been shattered and I felt guilty because I was thankful my Old Lady was alive. "Ope, you should go home. Be with your kids. I'm sure they're wondering what the fuck is going on." I told him. "I'm going to leave in a few. Listen, I'm happy that Lexi is going to be okay, seriously, but when you find out who did this...who killed my wife...I want in." he replied, his voice cracking. I nodded in agreement and watched as he turned and walked out the door looking like a broken man.

"Jax, I'm going to go with him. I'll meet him at your house and drive the twins home in my car. I'll help him get them to bed after he tells them. Tell Lexi I love her and I'll be by to see her in the morning." Sophie said as she gave me, Gemma and Clay quick hugs goodbye and ran out the door after Opie.

Lexi was taken in for a second surgery before we could see her. There was some sort of internal bleeding and the Doctor thought the third bullet may have nicked an artery. It was going to be a long night.

"Mom, can you go home and take care of Abel? It's late so if you wouldn't mind staying in the guest room I would really appreciate it." After she agreed and left, with Miles following her for protection, I turned to Clay.

"We need to find out who did this and why. They obviously thought at first that it was Lexi driving. The only name that comes to mind is Kohn. Do we know where he is? And where the fuck is Piney? The old man needs to be with Ope and his Grandkids." I told Clay.

"Charming PD is on their way in." Rat called out as he glanced out the window overlooking the parking lot. We all watched, moments later, as David Hale entered the room along with Agent Stahl, of the ATF. Fuck...

"Clay...Jax. How's Lexi?" Captain America asked.

"They just took her in for her second surgery. Any idea who did this?" I replied. I saw a look pass between them and knew at that moment Kohn had done this.

"Jax, I understand your relationship with Alexis has changed since I saw you last. Out of respect for your relationship with her and that of the hierarchy of the club, I'm going to ask you to call me as soon as she can talk. I have questions for her." Stahl replied.

"Bitch knows it was Kohn." I said after they left. "Yeah, I picked up on that. Sack, follow them. I want to know what they know and where they are at all times. Juice, head up to the cabin with the van. The old man is on a bender but he needs to be here with Opie and the kids. Bobby, go wake up Unser. Tell him I want to know exactly when the ATF got into town and when the fuck Kohn got out of jail." I listened as Clay barked orders.

"Clay, when we find him, he's mine...mine and Ope's. He's going to pay for hurting Lexi and he's going to die for killing Donna." I told Clay, who nodded in agreement.

"Happy, I want you and Rat to keep an eye on Opie's house. Watch over him and the twins until we find Kohn. Chibs..." Clay turned to the Scotsman... "You watch Sophie. I'm going to call in reinforcements but for now I want you with Sophie. Kohn may try to use her to get to Lexi when he finds out she is still alive."

We sat in silence, watching the clock, until the Doctor walked back into the waiting room.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Ow." I whispered as I tried to roll onto my right side. I went to reach for Jax and that's when it all came rushing back to me. Before I opened my eyes I could hear the beeping of machines and hushed whispers. I slowly opened my eyes to see Jax and Gemma in my hospital room. Light was peeking through the window blinds. It must be morning, I thought.

"Jax..." I croaked, my throat extremely raw and dry. "Hey baby. How are you feeling?" he asked, worriedly, as he crossed the room to my bed. "Jax, I'm going to let the nurse and Clay know she's awake. I'm so happy you're back with us baby girl." Gemma said, quickly kissing my forehead before leaving the room.

"Jax. Donna...it was my fault." I said as I started sobbing. I couldn't stop. The guilt and pain was too much to handle. It was my fault Donna was dead. Before Jax could say anything the nurse rushed in. "Ms. Morrow. You need to relax. Your stress levels are too high and it's important we keep your blood pressure level. I can give you something to help you relax if you'd like." she said as she prepared to inject a sedative into my IV.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine. Promise." I told her. She left the room and Jax wiped the tears away from my face before giving me a cup of water. "Lexi, before the cops come to question you about the shooting and the accident..." he started to say but was interrupted by the door opening and David Hale entering with Agent June Stahl behind him.

"Alexis, I'm glad to see you're awake." Stahl said to me. David didn't say a word. He just looked at Jax and shook his head. "She's been awake for less than ten minutes Stahl. Do you have to do this now? Christ, the nurse was just in here wanting to give her a sedative because of her blood pressure." Jax said angrily stepping towards the ATF Agent.

"Relax, Jax. I just have a couple of questions for Alexis. After all you do want Deputy Chief Hale and I to catch Donna Winston's killer, don't you?" she replied, causing tears to start falling down my face. She was using Donna's death as some sort of power play over the club. She didn't give a rat's ass about Donna.

"Jax. I don't feel well. Can you please get the nurse?" I sobbed. Jax ran out as I continued to sob. "Alexis, it will just take a minute and then we'll be out of your hair." Stahl said. I couldn't stop crying. I felt guilty and I was angry.

"Excuse me. I need the two of you to leave the room now." Dr. Bentley, the Surgeon said, as he entered the room followed by the nurse and Jax. "I told you ten minutes ago that I would not allow Ms. Morrow to be questioned until I felt her condition was stable." he snapped at Stahl before turning to me. "Lexi, we're going to give you a sedative to help you relax. I'll be back later to check on you. Try to relax and rest. That's the best thing for you right now." he said as the nurse injected the needle into my IV. He waited until David and Stahl walked out of the room before he left.

I knew the sedative was taking affect because my eyes were getting heavy. I needed to tell Jax first. "Jax..." I said, holding out my hand. "Sleep baby. I'll be here when you wake up." he said kissing the inside of my wrist. "No, Jax. You don't understand. I saw who it was." I said, struggling to get the words out. "It was Kohn. Kohn shot us and killed Donna, but Jax...Wendy was driving the SUV."

* * *

 **A/N: Since this is story does not follow completely along with the Sons of Anarchy storyline and introduces new characters, including my O/C Lexi and her best friend, Sophie, I decided to not make Clay and Tig responsible for Donna's death. I hope I still did this part of the story justice and you enjoyed reading it.**


	10. Aftermath

**LEXI'S P.O.V. (1 DAY LATER)**

"Please Jax. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I want to be at home with you and Abel. I'm not spending Thanksgiving in the hospital." I pleaded with Jax. I was going crazy and hated the fact that I hadn't seen Abel since we brought him home on Monday morning. "Lexi you need to rest and recover. It's been less than forty-eight hours since you were brought in. There will be plenty of Thanksgivings down the road for the rest of our lives." Jax told me as Gemma and my Dad walked into my hospital room.

"If you don't convince the Doctor to release me today, Jackson, then I will sign myself out of the hospital. I am spending Thanksgiving with our Son and you bet your ass it won't be here at St. Thomas. Plus, someone needs to make sure Opie feeds his kids some turkey tomorrow." I snapped back at him.

"Maybe we should come back later." my Dad said. "No. It's fine. I have to get to TM anyway. I'll be back in a few hours to see you. I love you Lexi but you're staying here in the hospital." Jax replied, giving me a quick kiss before leaving.

Gemma and my Dad stayed for an hour avoiding the subject of the shooting and talked about Abel, Un-Southern and the renovations to Sophie's house. I hit my limit and told them I was tired and needed to nap. As soon as they left I texted Sophie. After she responded, I had the nurse page Dr. Bentley.

Two hours later, with the assistance of a nurse, I had showered, dried my hair and lightly applied my make-up. I was dressed in the clothes that Sophie brought with her. "Jax is going to kill you and then me when he finds out that I sprang you from St. Thomas. How are you going to get past Miles? He's posted outside your door." she said, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. I knew she loved this shit.

"You're going to send him to get the Doctor. Tell him the call button isn't working." I said, grimacing as I bent over to slip a pair of gray suede boots on over my leggings. "Fuck. Dr. Bentley wasn't kidding when he said this would hurt. He said I couldn't do anything to pull my stitches or I'd be back here and he wouldn't let me sign myself out the next time." I said as I slowly stood up. I put on a black leather jacket over my gray scoop neck sweater and told Sophie to send Miles for the Doctor.

"Coast is clear. Let's go." Sophie told me. We walked as quickly as I could and took the stairs down to the side entrance. I needed some time before I faced the wrath of my Old Man. "Where am I taking you?" she asked as I slid into the passenger seat of her black Mercedes G550 SUV. "Drive towards Un-Southern. I need you to park a block away. You can go back to work but I'll need to borrow your car for a bit. Just try to buy me a little time when Jax or someone from SAMCRO comes looking for me." I told her.

"Lex, I hope you know what you're doing." she replied when she got out of the car. "I do Soph. Promise. I'll see you at home tonight. Love you." I told her before pulling out of the parking spot and heading towards my destination.

I pulled into the driveway at Opie's and noticed Piney's bike in the driveway along with a blue sedan that I didn't recognize. I walked to the front door and rang the bell. "Can I help you?" an older woman asked when she answered the door. "I'm looking for Opie." I replied, wondering who she was. "Goddamn croweaters are already circling and Donna's not even in the ground yet. Listen you little whore, you stay the fuck away from..." she started but was cut off by Piney. "Mary! That's Lexi Morrow, Clay's Daughter and Jax's Old Lady!" he yelled. "Oh, so you're the one who got my daughter-in-law killed." she replied, causing me to gasp as tears filled my eyes.

She turned and walked away leaving me and Piney in the entryway. "Ignore Mary. She's just an old bitter bitch. She never gave two shits about Donna. Never cared much about Opie and his kids either. What are you doing here Lexi? Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" Piney said and that's when I noticed the bottle of tequila in his hand.

"Piney, I need to see Opie. Where is he?" I asked. "Out back with the kids." he replied. "Piney, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I hope you'll be with us but if you need to go to the cabin until the funeral on Saturday then go. Everyone will understand. I can handle things here." I said, casting a glance in Mary's direction. "A mini-Gemma in the making, huh? Guess I shouldn't be surprised." Mary said. "Mary, unless you plan on joining us tomorrow for Thanksgiving then why don't you head home until Saturday." I suggested before walking thru the house and out to the backyard.

I stood there for quite a while watching Kenny and Ellie playing in the backyard and wondered if they even understood at such a young age that Donna was gone and not coming back...that she was dead. I then looked to my right and saw Opie sitting in a chair on the patio. Oh God...all the sudden I didn't know what to say.

My eyes filled with tears as I walked over to him. "Opie..." I said softly as I felt the tears begin to stream down my face.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I'm going to kill her I thought to myself as I drove down Opie's street. She ignored my instructions to stay in the hospital and then she disappears without the protection of the club.

"Where is she?" I asked Piney when I met him on the front walk. "She's out back with Ope and the twins. She gave me the okay to leave and basically gave Mary the boot, which we've been trying to figure out how to do for the past twenty-four hours. She did it all within two minutes of showing up on the doorstep. Must have been Mary referring to her as a croweater that got her blood boiling. She has a good heart Jackson. Don't be too rough on her. She's carrying a lot of unnecessary guilt right now. You know JT would have loved her. He'd want you to make an honest woman out of her." the old man told me as he walked past me and got on his Harley Davidson Electra Tri-Glide.

I walked out back just as Lexi made her presence known to Opie. As I looked at my Old Lady and my Brother my heart broke for the both of them.

"Opie..." Lexi said as I watched tears fall down her face.

"Lexi! What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital." Opie said, surprised being the understatement of the year, as my Old Lady threw herself in his arms and sobbed.

"I'm sorry." Lexi said a few minutes later. "I came here to tell you how sorry I am about Donna and here I am crying all over you. Opie, I know you must hate me and I understand. I know it's my fault and I'll never forgive myself. God, Ope I'm so sorry." Lexi said as she started crying again.

"Lexi...it's not your fault. It's Kohn's fault...well Kohn's and Wendy's. You did so much for Donna over these past six months and for that I'll always be grateful. She loved you and considered you to be one of her closest friends. Now tell me something, where is Miles and how did you get here?" Opie replied as he caught a glimpse of me.

"She checked herself out of the hospital against Doctor's orders, had Sophie send Miles on a fake errand looking for the Doctor and then took Sophie's car here." I said walking forward. Where most women would be nervous because of my demeanor Lexi held her own.

"I did what I needed to do Jackson. Since you wouldn't help me I decided to help myself. And I helped Opie. I sent Mary home and gave Piney the okay to go get drunk at the cabin. He needs to grieve away from Ope and the kids." she told me before turning to Opie and once again doing something that would end up changing our lives.

"Opie, tomorrow is Thanksgiving." she started gently. "Why don't we pack a couple of bags for you and the twins? Come stay with us for a few days. We'll get thru the holiday and the funeral. The three of you shouldn't be alone right now. Actually, while Jax entertains Kenny and Ellie, let's go grab some luggage and start packing." she finished with such determination that Ope and I both knew there was no use in arguing with her. He looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders before walking over to the twins. I heard him sigh as he turned to follow the most frustratingly amazing woman I have ever met back into his house.

Hours later Lexi and I laid in bed. "Jesus, please tell me Abel isn't going to be that much work when he's three." I said causing my Old Lady to giggle. "Bath time with the twins was a little rough for you, huh?" she teased. I had been given the duty of supervising the twins bath since Lexi was still limited with her movements due to the stitches.

"Lexi, we need to talk about earlier today. You can't go pulling that sort of shit. It's too dangerous for you right now until we find Kohn and Wendy. Clay called in for reinforcements. Since Donna's funeral is on Saturday we have patches from the other charters coming down. As of right now it looks like Donut, Bowie and Lorca are going to hang out in Charming for a while. No more going anywhere without a patch. Abel and I need you with us babe. We'd be lost if anything ever happened to you, so please Lexi don't fight me on stuff like this." I said, knowing if I pulled Abel into it then she was bound to listen.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

It was going to be a different type of Thanksgiving this year, I thought to myself as I set a table in the clubhouse. Thanksgiving was usually held at my house but with the reinforcements Clay called in early there were too many people. Besides Clay and I, we had Jax, Lexi, Abel, Opie, the twins, Sophie, Bobby and his ten year old son Tiki, Chibs, Juice, Tig, Kozik, Happy, Half-Sack and Cherry, Luann Delaney, Quinn, Rat, Miles, Filthy Phil, Donut, Bowie and Lorca. Jesus, twenty-six people right now. Thankfully Sophie was helping with all the sides. She said she had plenty from all the Thanksgiving meals she prepped and sold from the café this year.

"Hey baby. Table looks great." Clay said as he came up behind me.

"Piney should be here Clay. Lexi had no right giving him the okay to go on a bender up to the cabin." I replied. "He needed to go grieve in his own way Gem. Lexi saw that. The old man will be back by tomorrow night and ready to support Open and the twins on Saturday." he responded. I knew deep down he was right but I was frustrated.

"Happy Thanksgiving." Lexi called out. I turned to see Lexi, carrying Abel, with Jax and Opie following behind with a baby swing, pack-n-play, toys for the twins and a variety of pies. "Where are the twins?" I asked as I took Abel from Lexi and kissed my Grandson. "They wanted to ride with Sophie. She should be pulling in shortly with Rat following her. She's got all the sides and the wine Gemma. I'm going to go wait outside and help her bring everything in." Lexi replied.

"No!" multiple voices yelled at once. "Lexi! What did we discuss this morning? If I think you're overdoing it, which you did all morning, then I'm taking you back to St. Thomas." my son growled at his Old Lady. Knowing Lexi as well as I do I was a little more than surprised when she didn't yell back at Jax, instead she turned, walked over to the TV, turned the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on and sat on the couch.

"I'll go grab my kids and give Sophie a hand when she gets here." Opie said, grabbing a beer from the bar and walking outside.

I looked at Jax. "It's been a rough twenty-four hours Ma. There's just a lot of people in my house right now." Jax said as he took Abel, put him in Lexi's lap and walked outside after Opie.

I walked over to the couch and sat next to Sophie. "Want to talk about it baby girl?" I asked. "Not today Gemma. Let's just get thru today." she replied with tears in her eyes. She looked pale and looked like she hadn't slept since she woke up in the hospital.

Before another word was said Sophie entered with the twins following her. "Baby!" Ellie called when she spotted Abel. She went running for Lexi and within minutes was enamored with the giant parade floats on TV. Lexi left Ellie sitting on the couch and walked over to where Kenny sat by himself at a table. I watched as she said a few words, which made him laugh and took him by the hand leading him back over to the couch. "I love you Auntie Lex." he said shyly, bringing tears to Lexi's, Opie's and my eyes.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Saturday morning, the day of Donna's funeral, arrived bright and sunny. Neeta had volunteered to watch Abel and the twins while we were at the service and then at the wake back at the clubhouse. Opie and I requested that Miles, Rat and Filthy Phil watch over Neeta and the kids.

Opie and I joined our Brothers from SAMCRO, SAMTAZ, SAMTAC, SAMBERN, Rogue River, Indian Hills and Reno on our Harleys. As the wife of a Brother and the Daughter-In-Law of an Original Nine, the Sons had shown up in full force out of love and respect for not only Donna, since most of them had never met her, but for Opie and Piney.

Lexi, Sophie, my Mom, Luann Delaney and Mary Winston would be riding in a limo behind the hearse carrying the casket. The limo would be followed by Opie and Pine with the rest of us behind them. When we reached the cemetery I watched Lexi get out of the limo and hated what I saw. The guilt and pain was eating her alive. She looked beautiful in a knee-length black wool dress with pearl buttons up the back. Her hair had been pulled back into a bun with a few loos tendrils around her face. She wore pearls in her ears and a triple strand of pearls around her neck. Her face was ghost white and her eyes red and puffy as we took our places next to Opie at the gravesite. She looked vulnerable and I knew as I caught Clay's eye that we would do whatever was needed to keep her safe.

We were three hours into the wake at the clubhouse when Charming PD showed up on the lot. "Lexi, David Hale is outside looking for you." I heard Bobby say, walking over to the bar where Lexi and Sophie were refilling their wine glasses. My Old Lady looked at me and I held my hand out to her. Together we went outside to see what the good Deputy wanted.

"Lexi, I want to offer my condolences. I've already spoken with Opie but I know you and Donna were close. Please know we are doing everything we can to find the persons responsible for this. If you need anything please let me know." he said looking at her with a look of adoration on his face. "Thank you, David." Lexi replied. She didn't say another word, she just walked back inside the clubhouse.

"You know this is your fault Teller, right? You couldn't protect her...you didn't protect her and this was the outcome. She deserves more...she deserves better than this life. It's not right for her. You're not right for her." Hale told me before he handed me a manila envelope. "I don't like you. You're a criminal and one of these days I will lock you up for good. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Lexi. I'm doing it to keep her safe. Do with this what you want. Just don't let it be traced back to me." he said. He turned, got in his jeep and drove off the lot without a second glance.

Later that night I sat down in my mancave not fully believing what I was reading. I picked up my prepay and called Clay. "Yeah." he said when he answered. I had obviously woken him up. "Clay, I know it's late but I need to talk to you in private. I would normally just go see you but I don't want to leave Lexi right. Can you come over to the house now? It can't wait." I told him as I looked at the file that was on my desk.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"What is it baby?" Gemma asked as I got out of bed and got dressed. "I need to go see Jax. Go back to sleep." I replied as I put my boots on. "Now? It's 2:30am." Gemma said. "Go back to sleep. I'll be home as soon as I can." I told her as I walked out of our bedroom.

Twenty-five minutes later I sat in Jax's mancave looking at the file in disbelief. "Jesus, Jax. She was feeding information to the Feds the entire time? That's why she got pregnant? Because she was busted and wanted to avoid jail time? The only option was to infiltrate SAMCRO and get information on us. She couldn't even do that right. Her crank habit was too important. SAMCRO doesn't hurt women and kids. We're going to have to bring it to the table. It gets a little more complicated with the other one though. Stahl basically lead Kohn and Wendy directly to Lexi and Donna. It could get messy because of Hale. It could make him an accomplice to killing not one but two Feds and Wendy depending on how the vote goes. Can he handle it?" I asked my VP.


	11. The Wrong Side Of The Law

**JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Jax, I need to go back to work. This is the busiest time of year at Un-Southern. We need to get into some sort of routine. Plus, I need to hire a new manager for the salon. I can't rely on Sophie to run everything. It's not fair to her. Gemma said Neeta will watch all three kids this week. I'll be at work from 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday thru Friday this week so I can be home to feed them. And, Jackson, you need to talk to Opie. He hasn't seen his kids in forty-eight hours. Sober him up and tell him I expect him at the dinner table tonight. We'll be eating at 6:30pm. Remind him he's a Father." Lexi finished angrily as she got ready for work.

It was only 7:00am. Too early to argue about Opie or anything else, but I didn't want her going back to work. It's only been a week since she was shot. Clay and I were still at a loss as to what should be done with Stahl and that fucking rat Wendy. It was a given, already approved at the table, that Kohn would be meeting Mr. Mayhem as soon as we find him.

"I'll make a deal with you, Lexi. You work from 9:00am – 12:00pm and then from 1:30pm – 5:00pm. Come home to eat lunch and see Abel. Ease your way back into things." I told her. "Speak of the devil." I said as we heard Abel on the baby monitor. "I'll get him." Lexi replied, walking out of the room.

I picked up my prepay and made the call I had been dreading. "It's Jax Teller. We need to talk. Meet me at 9:30am. Over at the Bluebird Warehouse that blew up a few months ago." I said ending the call before dialing another number. "Clay. The meeting is set. 9:30am at the Bluebird Warehouse. I'll see you at TM afterwards." I said, ending the call as Lexi came back in with Abel. "I'll wake the twins and start breakfast. This little man needs some one-on-one time with his Dad...and his bottle." she said handing me Abel and his bottle.

Two hours later I drove down the road towards the deserted warehouse. We once used it to assemble and store our guns for the Irish. It was called Bluebird because it's where Blue Bird Feed was sold out of. It was now just a shell of what had once been.

"Thanks for meeting me, Hale." I said as I got off my bike and lit a cigarette. "Why am I here Jax? What do you want?" he asked in return.

"I need to talk to you about the file you gave me on Saturday. When exactly did Wendy become an informant for the Feds? Also, knowing Kohn's history and knowing about the restraining orders why did Stahl lead him directly to Lexi? What does she have against Lexi? Or is Lexi just a way for her to get to the club? I need more information before Clay and I bring this to the others. I need to know what else you know." I replied.

"I gave you everything I could get my hands on. I will tell you that she has two large files on Lexi. Like Kohn, she seems to be obsessed with Lexi but I'm not sure why. She's dangerous Jax. She's dangerous to Lexi...a threat to Lexi. You need to find a way into her office and see what's in those files. That's all I can tell you. If I find out more then I'll be in touch. I gotta go." Hale said, getting back in his jeep and leaving a trail of dust in his wake as he pulled out of the dirt lot.

After Hale left I texted Clay to let him know I was on my way but had a stop to make first. I pulled onto Main Street and drove to Un-Southern. Donut was posted out front. "Where's Bowie and Lorca?" I asked as I got off my bike. "Bowie's covering the back and Lorca is on the inside. We thought it would be better this way." Donut replied.

"Thanks, man. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the three of you hanging out in Charming for a bit." I told him. "No problem VP. We're happy to help. Plus, the women who come in and out of this place are fucking hot." he replied as two women walked out of the building. "Have a good day ladies. Hope to see you here again real soon." he called out to them. I laughed and headed inside.

I looked in the café and didn't see Sophie or Lexi. I looked in the boutique only noticing Melissa and Ashley who were both helping customers. Still no sign of Lexi. I turned and went up to the second floor. It was empty...I had forgotten it was closed on Mondays. She must be up in the office. I walked up to the third floor and that's when I heard the arguing.

"Lexi, you need to tell Jax and Clay! I don't think you should wait. It's getting too dangerous. She basically fucking threatened you." Sophie said. By the tone of her voice I could tell it was a heated discussion.

"Not yet, Soph. I need to hear what the P.I. finds out. I don't know if it is her or not. There was just something familiar about her. I didn't realize it when I was in the hospital or when I first met her on the lot. I haven't seen Robert's sister in years. She didn't go to his funeral but she reminds me of her. And she can threaten me all she wants. Legally, she can't touch me but if she tries she's not going to find anything. I've never done anything wrong. You know that." Lexi replied in a tone that matched Sophie's.

"Who the fuck threatened you?" I demanded to know as I stepped into the open doorway of my Old Lady's office.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Oh shit, I thought to myself when I saw Jax in the doorway. "I gotta go back downstairs and check on the café." Sophie said, quickly leaving the office. Traitor, I thought to myself as she left me alone to deal with what looked like an unhappy Jax Teller.

"Hey, baby. I didn't expect to see you this morning. What are you doing here?" I asked sweetly as I got up from my desk and went to give him a kiss.

He unfolded the hands that I wrapped around his neck and took a half-step back. "I asked you a question Lexi. Who threatened you?" he asked again.

I stepped around him and continued to the hallway outside of my office. "It's not important Jax. Agent Stahl stopped by, for some unknown reason, trying to throw her weight around. Something about finding Donna's killer. She's so full of shit. I honestly don't think she cares at all about finding Kohn and Wendy." I told him, making my way to the staircase, knowing he would have to follow me if he wanted to continue this conversation. A conversation that he would never have in front of my customers and clients. I was a chicken, just like Sophie, running for cover until I could find out what Stahl really wanted.

"Lexi..." Jax started to say as we reached the bottom of the staircase on the main level, just in time to see Agent Stahl and multiple ATF Agents come through the front door.

"What the fuck?" I asked, unable to actually believe what I was seeing. "Alexis Morrow, we have a warrant to search the grounds of this building and of your home." Agent June Stahl told me as she handed me a piece of paper with a smirk on her face. A smirk I was dying to smack off her face.

"On what fucking grounds?" Jax asked angrily. "Jax, don't...you'll just make it worse." I told him quietly. "On the grounds that Ms. Morrow has ties to suspected arms distributors." she replied as she headed up the staircase. "We'll start in the office. Box everything." she told her team as the followed her upstairs.

"Fuck this." I said, angrily. I walked into the café and told Sophie to close for the day. I then walked in to the boutique and told Melissa and Ashley to close for the day as well.

"What are you doing?" Jax said, following me up the staircase. "Making sure they don't tear my life apart. Jax, I had nothing to do with the shooting. I can't believe I'm actually having to say that out loud." I told him, tears filling my eyes at the thought I would be under suspicion for killing Donna and then shooting myself. "I know babe. You're going to need some help getting out of whatever the ATF thinks they have against you. Let me call Rosen." he said referring to the club's lawyer.

"I have it covered." I replied walking into my office. My blood started boiling the moment I saw Stahl sitting at my desk. "You're not going to find anything. I didn't have anything to do with Donna's death and I don't know anything about being tied to arms distributors. I would like to know how you managed to convince a judge to sign off on this bogus warrant." I said angrily.

"Oh, Lexi. It's not bogus. It's all very legal. I would think a girl as smart as you would know that." she said walking over to me, with an odd look on her face. "How's your right-side feeling? Still sensitive?" she said reaching out and tapping me where my stitches were...where the bullets had been removed. "You bitch! Don't touch me!" I cried out in pain, slapping her hand away.

"Did you see that, Agent Tyler? I was just assaulted. Cuff her, mirandize her and bring her down to the station. Ms. Morrow and I are going to get to know each other better." I listened in disbelief. She was stretching things quite a bit. A female agent came over, pulled my arms behind my back and tightly fastened metal handcuffs on my wrists.

"I'll call Rosen." Jax said, angrily knowing this was a bogus bust. "Don't. I have it covered. I'll be home in time for dinner. Tell Opie he needs to be there." I reminded him as I was lead downstairs and out the front door of my building.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

Goddamn it, I thought as I once again stood in the café's kitchen, quickly scrolling through the contacts on my iPhone looking for a number. The number of someone I truly had hoped to never have to call but once Lexi was arrested I knew what I had to do. When Lexi came up with this plan, she gave me a list of phone numbers to call in case anything went wrong. Tommy's number was one of them.

"Tommy. It's Sophie Buchanan. Lexi is in trouble. How quickly can you get to the police station in Charming? The ATF just took Lexi in custody. You'll never believe who the Agent-in-Charge is. I'm sure you'll recognize her when you see her." I told the person on the other end of the phone. After being told he could make it to Charming from San Francisco in just over two hours I ended the call.

"Who was that? Want to tell me what's going on?" Jax said, scaring the crap out of me. I hadn't heard him come into the kitchen.

"Jesus, Jax. You scared the shit out of me. Look, if there's anything at Lexi's that could cause problems you may want to get it out of there before the Feds raid the house. She'll tell you everything you need to know when she's released and she will be released this afternoon. Trust me on that. However, she'll probably need a ride home from the station and you may want to be there for the reunion when it happens. I'm heading down there shortly. I'm thinking about bringing popcorn." I told him with a smile. The shit was gonna hit the fan this afternoon and I wanted a front row seat.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was getting more and more angry by the moment. Sophie wouldn't tell me shit and Lexi told me not to call Rosen. The shark was worth every dime we paid him for his retainer. He was available for shit like this. For the first time in my life I was at a loss. I walked outside and started barking instructions. "Donut and Lorca...I want you two watching my house. Let me know if the Feds show up. Bowie, you head down to Charming PD. Watch the building. Let me know who comes in or out."

I sat on my bike and shot off a quick text to Hale...

 _Stahl arrested Lexi. Watch over her until I can get down to the station. You said Stahl was a threat to her...you better protect her. It's time for you to make a decision as to which side of the law you're really on when it comes to protecting Lexi._

I sped through the streets of Charming and pulled into TM. Clay was going to have a coronary. I walked into the Clubhouse and saw him shooting pool with Bobby. "Here he is. Got some good news for me?" he asked, walking over to me with a cigar in his mouth.

"Just the opposite. ATF raided Un-Southern. Stahl arrested Lexi on assault charges. She's down at Charming PD now. I sent Donut and Lorca to the house and have them watching over it. Told them to call me if the Feds show up." I told them. "What the fuck?" Clay roared. "Why the hell didn't you stop this, Jax? Who the fuck are they saying she assaulted? And why haven't you called Rosen yet?" Clay yelled, bringing the attention of my Brother's to our conversation.

"Stahl touched the side where Lexi had been shot. Lexi slapped her hand away. Stahl arrested her. Lexi told me not to call Rosen. She said she had it covered and Opie..." I said turning to my Brother... "she said your ass better be at the dinner table tonight at 6:30pm and you need to be sober." There were more than a few chuckles at that comment.

"I'm heading down to the station to find out what's going on. I texted Hale. He's going to watch over her while she's in there. I'll keep you guys updated." I finished, turning to walk out the door.

"I'm going with you. Not going to leave my Daughter alone in that place. Such bullshit." Clay said angrily as we were followed out to the lot by all of our Brothers, including the one who was broken.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Lawyer..." I said as I sat in an interrogation room at Charming PD. I had seen the surprised looks of both David Hale and Wayne Unser when I was paraded through the squad room in handcuffs.

"Come on now Lexi. I want to help you. I'm sure we can cut some sort of deal to make this assault charge go away." Stahl said to me.

"Bitch, if you want to be assaulted then let me know. You touched my injury and I moved your hand out of the way. No judge is going to believe you. Again, I have nothing to say other than...LAWYER!" I said screaming the last word.

"Did you just threaten to assault me again? I'll have to add that to the charges being brought against you. Along with what we found in your office, taped under your desk." she said holding up a plastic bag. "I'm thinking when we run ballistics the bullets from this gun are going to match the slugs we pulled out of Donna Winston. Talk to me Lexi." she said, pretending to be my friend.

Are you fucking kidding me? They planted a gun in my office? The best part is I have hidden cameras all over Un-Southern, including the office because that's where the safe is. Bitch is going down for this frame job, I thought as I once again screamed at the top of my lungs "I WANT A LAWYER, NOW!"

"I'll be back in ten minutes. Why don't you relax and think about what's going to happen if you don't cooperate. Think about never seeing that sweet baby boy, Abel, ever again. You'll be locked up in a federal prison. Jax will move on to a croweater or maybe even get himself a new Old Lady. I heard there's a pornstar who has wanted to move into that role for a very long time." she said as she walked out the door.

My Mother may have raised me to be a Southern Lady, but Robert Montgomery taught me how to handle myself in any situation. I've watched interrogations like this before. I'm not going to jail and I'm sure as hell not going to lose Abel and Jax, I thought to myself as I watched the clock. It had been over an hour since Stahl left me in here and almost two and a half hours since I was brought in.

The door open and David Hale walked in. "Happy to see me like this David? You're probably thinking the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I know what you think of my Dad and the rest of SAMCRO. I thought we were friends. You could have given me a heads up." I said, bitterly.

"We are friends Lexi. That's why I am passing a message from Sophie. She said someone named Tommy will be here shortly. I'll try to keep Stahl out of here as long as possible. Oh, and Jax is outside. He, Clay and all the rest are waiting outside in the parking lot. They can't come in. If they do one of them is bound to be arrested for something or the other. Gemma's in Unsers office right now giving him an earful. I'm going to try to get her in to see you if I can. I'll be back. Here's a Diet Coke and a BLT. I had one of the uniforms run over to Lumpy's and get you something to eat." he told me, placing my lunch on the table before walking out of the room.

I felt guilty. I was mean to him and was going to have to apologize. Shit. At least Sophie did what I needed her to and help was on the way. I was going to have to explain quite a bit to Jax and Clay.

"Enjoy your lunch? How about that, you have Deputy Chief Hale wrapped around your finger and the Prince of Charming, the bad boy on the wrong side of the law, playing house with you. What about you Lexi? Which side of the law are you going to fall on today?" Stahl said taking the seat across from me.

"LAWYER!" I yelled again and was surprised when moments later a knock was heard on the door. "What?" Stahl yelled. "I said I wasn't to be disturbed when I was interrogating this suspect."

"Well considering this is my station house I think I can do whatever I please, especially when your so-called suspect's lawyer has arrived and his demanding to meet with his client." Chief Unser told the ATF Agent. "You okay, sweetie?" he asked me. "I'm fine Wayne, thanks. If you wouldn't mind sending in my lawyer, I'm dying to introduce him to Agent Stahl here. I think the three of us have quite a bit to discuss." I said, grinning for the first time since I had been arrested.

"Assistant State's Attorney Thomas Montgomery. I'll be representing Ms. Morrow." Tommy said placing a business card in front of Stahl. She looked up in surprise as she heard the name. "Lexi, we'll be leaving now. From what I've read the warrant was bogus and the judge has already nullified it. If Agent Stahl here wants to bring charges on the gun that was found and the circumstantial case of assault then she'll be surprised to learn that both incidents were recorded by the security camera in your office. Let's go." my cousin, well step-cousin, said to me.

"Tommy, you're going to want to sit down. We need to have a little family meeting here. First let me make proper introductions. Thomas Montgomery, the son of my step-father's sister, please meet your cousin by blood, Agent June Stahl. Well actually it was June Montgomery before she was adopted. Turns out Robert and his first wife had a daughter with massive psychological problems. After five years of doctors and treatments, when she was eight years old, they made the difficult decision to put her up for adoption after she killed the family cat and attempted to burn down the house. June went into the foster care system. Now, cousin, I won't bore you with the other details of little June's derelict attitude during her formative years. Robert and his wife, Amelia, divorced shortly afterwards and five years later Robert married my Mother and I became his daughter. Apparently, based on the information I have received, from your Investigator, June became quite obsessed with me when she first met me on the TM lot. I told you about that night, Tommy, didn't I? She raided the lot with an Agent she knew to be a threat to me. An Agent, who along with Wendy Case-Teller, shot and killed Donna Winston and was responsible for my recent visit to St. Thomas." I told my cousin, a knowing look in my eyes causing him to grin.

"Ah yes, the bad apple. Well, I will plan on having quite the conversation with my superiors and yours, Agent Stahl, regarding your obsession with Alexis, her family and friends. I suggest Agent Stahl, you prepare to pack up your office. You're done in Charming. You may want to consider giving up Kohn's location. Maybe they won't prosecute you if you do. You'll just be fired. Now, while this has been interesting I'm ready to go. Lexi, why don't you introduce me to Clay, Jax and the rest of the men wearing kuttes out in the parking lot. They almost didn't let me through until Sophie yelled at them. It was quite comical." Tommy said, holding his hand and leading me out of the room.

"That was good. I figured your Investigator relayed the information he had found for me back to you. I just didn't know it was going to come to a head today. Thank you for coming to my rescue today, cousin. I couldn't have kept a level head if I didn't know you would be here to save me at some point." I said with a smile as we walked out into the California sunlight.

I saw the look on the faces of the members of SAMCRO, especially on Jax and Clay's faces, when I walked outside hand-in-hand with Tommy. I paused at the top of the staircase, looked at my cousin who had more than once managed to find himself on the wrong side of the law over the years, and knew by introducing him to these people, to this part of my family, he was going to be drawn into a lifestyle he never thought either one of us would be part of.


	12. The Letters

**JAX'S P.O.V.**

I couldn't believe it. There she is walking out of the polices station, holding some guy's hand and smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Who the fuck is that with Lexi?" Clay asked, speaking the words that were running thru my head. "I don't know but I'm about to find out." I replied, getting off my bike and walking towards my Old Lady.

"What's up jailbird? Did you have fun in the big house? Was it like Orange Is The New Black?" Sophie called out as she dashed over towards Lexi before I could reach her. I couldn't hear Lexi's response but I heard them laugh and watched as my Old Lady hugged her best friend before Sophie turned and hugged the guy. "Who the fuck is Sophie hugging? Opie asked as he fell into step next to me. "I'm about to find out. My Old Lady needs to fucking fall in line and stop keeping so many damn secrets from me." I replied furiously.

"You okay?" I asked Lexi, my angry eyes hidden behind my sunglasses. I knew from her reaction to my tone she realized I was pissed. "I'm good." she said flashing me a smile. She leaned in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around me. I pulled her against me hard, forced her mouth open with my tongue and kissed her until she was breathless and I started to get hard. I pulled away and looked at her. I was pleased with the flush on her cheeks and the lust I saw in her eyes. At least she remembered who she belonged to. I'll deal with the secrets tonight.

Lexi turned when we heard someone clear their throat behind us. "Sorry Tommy. I forgot you were there for a second. Let me introduce you. Tommy this is my Old Man, Jackson Teller. Jax, this is my cousin, the brilliant Assistant State's Attorney and my lawyer, Tommy Montgomery." she said smiling at the two of us.

"It's nice to meet you. Lexi is the only one, well she and Sophie, who call me Tommy. I go by Tom." the dark-haired man said extending his hand. "Thanks for coming to help Lexi out today." I replied as we both surveyed the other. It was almost as if we were measuring up the competition.

"Lexi, we gotta go. Neeta's at home with the kids and I'm pretty sure you instructed Opie to be at the dinner table in a few hours." I told her, ignoring the lawyer, as I put my arm around her shoulders, ready to lead her over to my bike.

"Uh, Jax...Clay. A word please before you leave?" Chief Unser asked, walking out of the main entrance with Hale behind him. Shit, what the fuck now, I wondered only half listening to Lexi as she told me she would get a ride home before she turned to greet Clay.

Two hours later Opie, Clay and I walked into my house. None of us where happy with what we learned from Unser. While he was getting lectured by an angry Gemma and Hale was finishing Lexi's release paperwork, Stahl slipped out the back door. She was officially MIA, considered armed and dangerous and probably with Kohn and Wendy. She took the files she had with Lexi along with her gun and the gun she had planted in Lexi's office. The one thing she left behind was her badge. She was in the wind and still determined to get revenge on my Old Lady.

The house was filled with the sounds of laughter and the smell of a homecooked meal. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Opie asked when we walked into the kitchen and saw Tom Montgomery drinking a glass of wine with Lexi and Sophie. "Daddy!" the twins yelled as they saw Opie in the doorway. Lexi was giving them dinner early. "They'll be done eating in a few minutes Opie then they're all yours for bath-time. I thought you could spend some time with them before they go to bed. We'll eat dinner around 8:00pm. Hey Dad. Are you staying for dinner? Want me to call Gemma and tell her to come over? There's plenty." she said grabbing her iPhone before Clay could answer. After texting my mom she opened the fridge, handed the three of us cold beers and kissed me.

"Where's Abel?" I asked. "Neeta said he didn't nap this afternoon. He was exhausted after I gave him his bottle and fell asleep about thirty minutes ago." she replied refilling her wine glass and topping off Sophie and Tom's glasses.

"Jax, I was hoping I could talk to you for a bit either tonight or tomorrow." Tom said. "You're staying in Charming?" I asked. I was more than a little surprised to learn not only was he staying for a few days but he was also staying in my house. "Tommy handles the majority of my legal needs and is going to do some stuff for Sophie and I over the next few days. I'm also having him draw up a will for me, but you and I can talk about that later." she informed me. Oh, she better believe we'll be talking about quite a few things later.

"Why don't y'all go down to Jax's mancave? I put together something for you to snack on until dinner's ready. Sophie and I will yell down when it's time to eat." she said, handing me a platter of chips, dips, meats and cheeses. "Be nice to Tommy, please." she whispered as she opened the door that lead downstairs.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Oh, hell no. Not you Opie. You're on Daddy duty. These kids haven't seen you in two days. Your ass is staying up here and taking care of your children. After dinner you and I are going to have a conversation. I know you're hurting Ope but you need to get your shit together for your kids." I hissed at him trying to avoid being overheard.

Ope looked down at me, opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, thought better of it and walked over to the table. "Maybe you should go easy on him Lex. He's been thru a lot." Sophie said to me as we sat in the family room a few minutes later. "We've all been thru a lot Soph. I mean, Jesus Christ, I'm not even twenty-four, raising a kid that's not mine, playing house with Jax and trying to run a business." I replied not mentioning everything else.

We had a relatively pleasant dinner...for the most part. Sophie and Tommy kept Clay and Gemma entertained with stories about my younger years and the trouble we would get into. Jax and Opie were not enjoying themselves. Dinner ended and Sophie told me she would handle dish duty. Tommy had some work to finish so he retreated to my office. Sensing the tension, Clay and Gemma said goodnight and left.

"Lexi we need to talk." Jax told me. I looked at him over my glass of wine. God, I loved him but I knew we weren't going to have a pleasant conversation tonight. It was something I had been preparing for over the past week or so. "I know but first we need to talk to Opie." I replied.

"Opie..." I began gently. "You know I love you like a brother and love your kids as if they were my niece and nephew by blood, right?" I paused waiting for his answer. When he responded yes I continued on...

"Ope, I know you're hurting and we are here to help in any way we can but you need to be here for your kids. You can't live drunk off your ass and living in your dorm at the clubhouse, Opie. Kenny and Ellie need you. They need their dad. They lost their mom and right now they're sad, lost and confused. I know it's only been a week but you need to take them home soon and get into some sort of routine. You need to step up Opie and be the man Donna loved...the man she married." I told him. His response, was not what I expected to hear and devastated me.

"Who are you to tell me what I need? What my kids need? Let me tell you something Lexi...you're my VP's Old Lady. Nothing more. God, if it wasn't for you my wife would still be alive. It's your fault she's dead. We'll be out of here tomorrow morning. So sorry my kids have been such an inconvenience to you." he replied, his tone bitter and hateful.

"Opie, you're out of line. It wasn't Lexi's fault. You know that." I heard Jax say as he lead Opie down to the mancave. I stood by the door, tears streaming down my face as I caught part of their conversation. Opie threw out words like spoiled, entitled, train-wreck and lawsuit. Oh my God! He's going to sue me for Donna's death!?

"Lexi...I'm sorry. Tell me what I can do to make things better. How can I help?" Tommy asked coming up behind me. I turned, walked into his arms and cried. I cried harder than I had since my Mom died. I cried for my mom...for Robert...for Donna...for everyone who's life I had affected since I moved to Charming.

"Can you get me out of here? I need to get away for a few days. I need time Tommy to figure out my next step...time by myself. I need to sneak out. I don't want anyone from SAMCRO to follow me. I'll tell Soph I'm leaving and I'll leave my phone here. I need to be off the grid for a few days. Please Tommy." I begged, seeing the doubt on his face.

"I never could say no to you. Where are we going?" he asked. "For starters, the airport in Oakland." I replied before heading to find Sophie.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"Are you insane Lexi? Jax will kill me. Then he will kill you when he finds you. You can't run away. You know Opie didn't mean it. Maybe it's time to come clean about everything. You both deserve better than this game you're playing. And to go without protection? You're going to cause Clay to have a heart attack. Think this thru before you do anything crazy." I told my best friend. I hated to see her in such pain.

"And you? You're seriously going to help her? Jax will kill you too. You saw how he was at the police station today. He doesn't trust you and if you help her run away now he'll never trust you. Think about our plan...our goal. You know I'll ultimately go along with whatever the two of you decide but we need to be smart about this because there's three crazy psychos trying to kill Lexi." I said to Tommy.

Thirty minutes later I found myself outside offering a late dinner to Bowie, Donut and Lorca as Lexi ran thru the bushes into the neighbor's backyard. Tommy got in his car and drove to the end of the street where Lexi was waiting. I told her not to tell me where she was going because I didn't want to lie to Jax. She promised she'd be back on Friday. I just hoped she still has a family to come home to.

At 11:30pm there was a hard knock on my bedroom door. Oh shit, I thought. Jax must have come upstairs from talking to Opie and found Lexi gone. "Where is she?" Jax demanded to know when I opened the door. Opie was standing behind him. "Why don't we go into the family room. There's some things you need to know and I don't want your voices to wake the kids. I just fed Abel again and rocked him back to sleep." I told him leading the way down the hall into the giant, warm, comfortable family room. I curled up on the plush oversized love seat and motioned for Jax to sit on the couch. Opie stood by the fireplace.

"Here." I said to Jax handing him the baby monitor, Lexi's cell phone and a note. "She was really upset by what Opie said to her. Then she overheard the names Opie called her and heard him talk about suing her for Donna's death. I haven't seen her this upset since her Mother died. Do you have any idea what she's been thru over the past twelve years? Do you know what her Mother asked of her? Do you know the details of her damn deathbed request that brought us to Charming? Or do you have this fantasy of her that you fell in love with? She gave me this to give to you as well. But Jax, if you don't want a real future with her don't open it." I told him sliding a small wooden box with the Celtic Trinity Knot carved into the top of it.

"And you..." I said looking at Opie. "If you think for one minute about actually suing Lexi, I'll shoot you in your sleep. She is the most generous kindhearted person I have ever met in my entire life. Last Wednesday she had Tommy draw up papers to set up a trust for the twins. She was planning on giving you a copy of the paperwork this week. She has arranged to pay for their college education up to $500,000.00 each. If they decide not to go to college they can use that money to purchase a house. She has also placed an additional $500,000.00 for each of them which will be split into five separate payments of $100,000.00. They'll receive that money beginning on their eighteenth birthday and for five years they'll receive that same amount on each birthday. She also set up a separate bank account giving only you and she access. There's $1,000,000.00 in it to be used for household expenses and things the twins may need over the years...clothing, braces, shoes, sports fees, etc. She knows you are now the sole provider for your kids. I don't think you have a clue as to how wrecked she is over Donna's death. She feels guilty even though it wasn't her fault. I know you're grieving Opie, but you don't have to be such a fucking asshole." I told him.

Without another word I got off the loveseat and went back to my bedroom.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Did you know? About the trust for the twins and the money?" Opie asked after Sophie left the room. "No. I didn't. She loves you Ope and she loves those kids. If she comes back don't give her a hard time. I don't think any of us took her feelings into consideration. I know I didn't. I just wanted to keep her safe but didn't think about the impact it was having on Lexi." I replied.

"If she comes back? What do you mean by 'IF'? She loves you and Abel. There's no way she's going to leave the two of you. I'm sorry she left, and probably a lot of it has to be because of me. I here for you Brother. Tell me what you need me to do." Ope said.

"Get some sleep. Looks like you and I are both on kid duty tomorrow morning and as pissed as Sophie is right now I don't think she'll be offering to help before she heads to work." I said to Opie before grabbing the baby monitor, Lexi's cell phone, the note and the box. I carried everything downstairs, sat at my desk and opened the envelope containing Lexi's note.

 _Jax-_

 _I'm sure you're not exactly thrilled with me at the moment but please understand why I needed to leave for a few days. Knowing what Opie really thinks, hell what most people probably think, isn't easy to deal with. I love you Jax and I love Abel but I need time to think, to figure out if this life in Charming is really for me. Maybe I just got caught up in the romance of it all...the fantasy I created in my head that this relationship could actually work. At this point I don't know if it can. I have responsibilities outside of Charming...how many other Old Ladies can say the same? How does that work? That's something we both need to think about over the next few days. Sophie gave you a small box. In that box are things that may change your opinion of me and I understand if it does. I do hope you and Abel will still be home waiting for me when I get back. I love you with all my heart Jackson. Please never doubt that._

 _Always-_

 _Lexi_

Jesus, I thought running my hands over my face. I got up and poured myself a shot of Jameson and grabbed a beer from the bar. Were Lexi and Sophie right? Did I create...did both Lexi and I create...some sort of fantasy? I knew I loved her and I wanted to be with her but as an Old Lady how does she handle her career...the empire she is creating that will expose her to the public...to the media...and take her out of Charming. I knew her plans...bridal salons, baby stores and a chain of small inns before she takes over the world of upscale restaurants. Her brand, Un-Southern, was going to explode all over the United States. She dreams of locations in New England, Texas, Chicago, Florida and Southern California. Am I holding her back from these dreams? Maybe Clay had been right all along...maybe Lexi should be someone like Tom Montgomery. Her step-cousin was obviously in love with Lexi. It was written all over his face every time he looked at her.

Sophie's words played in my head over and over again. Don't open the box if I don't want to be with Lexi. The problem is that's all I want but I no longer know if I'm right for her...if this life, my life, is right for her. She must have doubts as well, otherwise she wouldn't be keeping so many things from me. Sighing, knowing I didn't have a choice, I opened the box. On top was an envelope, written in Lori's handwriting was Lexi's name on it. I opened the envelope and began to read...

 _Lexi-Kate,_

 _Happy 16th Birthday my beautiful daughter! I wish more than anything I was there to celebrate with you. I hope, my darling girl, that you've been happy these past five years. From the time you were born, until the moment I take my last breath, you have been the light and the love of my life. Robert and I felt it was important for you to know that he adopted you, but I hope you know, Alexis, he has always loved you as if you were his own._

 _Now Robert is going to take some time today to tell you about your biological father and my two years in Charming. I want you to know, my sweet girl, that you were conceived out of love. Your father and I loved each other very much but because of his lifestyle I decided to return to Savannah before you were born. Your biological father, Clay, never knew I was pregnant. I made the choice to leave without telling him._

 _Lexi, I hope you will live life to the fullest and go on to do something that you love. I hope you take time to travel, to fall in love and most of all to be happy. Enjoy your special day my Lexi-Kate and know that I'll always be watching over you._

 _Love With All My Heart-_

 _Mom_

I pictured a sixteen-year-old Lexi reading this letter on her birthday and thought about what a bittersweet gift it must have been. The next envelope had my name written on the outside. It was in Lexi's handwriting.

 _Jax-_

 _If you're reading this then you've just read the first letter my mom wrote me shortly before her death. Per my Mother's instructions Robert took me away for my sixteenth birthday._

 _The day of my birthday we cruised the Pacific Coast Highway. At one point he pulled over and handed me that envelope. He said, "Go ahead Lex. Read it and then I'll tell you all about your Mom's two years in Charming."_

 _I read the letter and remember looking at Robert afterwards with tears in my eyes. "I miss her so much." I told him. "I know, pumpkin. I do too, every day. She'd be so proud of you Lexi. You've grown into an amazing young woman. I'm proud of you too. And since today is your birthday here is part of your gift. Part two is waiting for you at home in Savannah." he told me handing me a small box. Inside was the first pair of diamond earrings I ever owned. My other gift was a BMW._

 _We then left Southern California and headed towards Tommy's parent's house. We spent that day, the day of my birthday...Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, with Robert's sister, Tommy's Mom, and her family in Beverly Hills. During the ride Robert told me the story of a young woman who went to Daytona on spring break the senior year of college. Daytona bike week coincided with spring break that year. That's where my Mom met Clay. They spent the week together and then my Mom went back to the University of Georgia. She was pre-law and destined to work in her Father's law firm after she graduated law school and passed the bar exam. But after that spring break her plans changed._

 _She received her diploma and hopped on a plane for California. She showed up in Charming and never planned on leaving again._

 _Each day Robert would tell me more stories about that time in my Mom's life as we continued our trip. The last day of our vacation, December 30th, before we flew out of Oakland and back to Savannah, Robert took me to Charming. We drove by TM before heading down to Main Street._

 _We stopped at Lumpy's for lunch and when we got out of the car I saw you for the first time. The memory makes me smile. Your hair was longer but you still had that wolfish-grin. I remember thinking as a naïve sixteen-year-old that you were the sexiest man I had ever seen. You were gorgeous and dangerous looking. I still think that about you...and you didn't disappoint! You were with Tara arguing about something outside of the diner. If I've done the math correctly she left for Chicago shortly after that._

 _As Robert and I walked towards Lumpy's I heard the roar of motorcycles approaching. I turned, wondering if one of them was Clay as they passed. I don't know if I expected some sort of connection with my biological Father but I remember feeling disappointed that no one approached me when they stopped where you were standing._

 _Seven years later, just over seven months ago, I sat in Robert's study. He was on his deathbed and the Doctor expected he would pass in the next few days. He wasn't supposed to give me the next letter from my Mom until I was twenty-five, but because he was dying he had given it to me that day._

 _Jax, the letter in this box, from my Mom, is what brought me to Charming. I had such a hard time believing my sweet, gentle Mother had written it because it was filled with such hate and bitterness. This next letter talks about your parents Jax, so think hard before you open it. There's no turning back for either one of us once you do._

 _Please know Jax, after meeting you...after falling in love with you, I couldn't go thru what was asked of me. You're asleep in our bedroom and I sit here, in Abel's nursery, the night before Thanksgiving, as I write this filled with such love. I watch him sleep and just as Robert did with me, I know I couldn't love this sweet baby boy more...even if I had given birth to him. I love you bith with all my heart._

 _Forever Yours-_

 _Lexi_

She had come to Charming all those years ago and saw me. I can't imagine what she thought. I remember the day she talked about...I remember the fight with Tara. It was the last words we spoke before she left Charming. I was full of anger and resentment and knew when I grinned at her I told her that she was a good fuck and never was my Old Lady. I was young, stupid and mean. I looked at the next letter in the envelope, took a deep breath and opened the second letter Lori left for Lexi.

 _Lexi-Kate,_

 _Happy 25th Birthday my angel! I sit here writing this letter and know that I'm dying. I fought for so long Alexis but I'm tired and don't want to fight anymore. I pray each night when I go to sleep that God takes me._

 _I'm hoping you are happy my sweet girl. I hope you've found someone to love and someone who loves you the way you deserve to be loved. Not the way Clay loved me. He used me and lied to me. He made promises of a future but then I noticed it. I noticed the glances between him and Gemma Teller, the SAMCRO Queen. Her young son died and her husband ran off to Ireland. Word is John Teller, JT to those who knew him, took up with an Irish woman in Belfast. JT cheated on Gemma so she decided to cheat on him. She set her sights on Clay. JT eventually came back from Ireland and everyone could see he was a changed man. He was a ghost of himself. JT ended up dying on the road, supposedly hit by a semi. Rumor has it he killed himself because he had been betrayed by his wife, Gemma, and his best friend, the man he considered to be a Brother, your biological father Clay._

 _Lexi, my girl, as my final request I'm going to ask that you go to Charming and meet your Father. Meet him, gain his trust and then take down Clay, Gemma and SAMCRO. Everything you need to take down the club is in a safety deposit box at the bank in your name._

 _I'm tired Lexi-Kate so I'm going to say goodbye now. I love you my darling girl and I'll always be watching over you._

 _Love With All My Heart-_

 _Mom_

I read and reread that second letter from Lori. I had heard the rumors over the years about my Dad's death...about Clay and Gemma...about JT's time in Ireland. That didn't concern me. What mattered was the contents of the safety deposit box...and where those documents are. I also wondered briefly if I could continue to trust Lexi. There was one more envelope to open. This one had my name on it, written in Lexi's hand.

 _Jackson-_

 _My love, I hope you don't hate me after reading that second letter and realizing my original motive for coming to Charming. It's Thanksgiving morning and you're sleeping next to me. I already fed Abel this morning and is his laying between us in bed. My plan to carry out my Mother's quest for revenge died the moment I held Abel in my arms for the first time. The day he came out of the incubator...the day I asked you to move in with me...the day I got your crow and became your Old Lady._

 _By the time you read this you'll have learned I set aside money for Opie's kids. I know it doesn't make up for Donna's death but it will help Opie and make things a little easier financially. I've also set aside a trust for Abel. He will receive $5000,000.00 for his college education. Like my instructions for Kenny and Ellie that money is to be used for college or a house. Then when he turns eighteen he will receive $200,000.00 a year for the next five years. I hope all three of them, Abel, Ellie and Kenny, will do something good with that money._

 _I'm having a will drawn up Jax. It's something we need to discuss sooner than later...that's if you don't hate me. I love you Jax._

 _Love With All My Heart-_

 _Lexi_

God, I want to believe her. This is going to destroy Clay and make my Mother distrust Lexi automatically. Punishment for what she knows could require a vote at the table. I need to find her...I need to know what was in that safety deposit box. I need to prevent this shitstorm from happening.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

I didn't hear my bedroom door open in the middle of the night. I never heard the footsteps until I felt the hand. "Auntie Soph? I had a bad dream and can't find Auntie Lex. Can I sleep with you?" Ellie asked me. I turned on the bedside light and saw the little blonde, dressed in a pink and purple nightgown, with tears streaming down her face, clutching her teddy bear. My heart broke at the sight. "Come on munchkin. There's plenty of room for you and teddy." I told her pulling back the covers and helping her crawl into bed. Moments later she fell asleep and I turned to shut off the light. That's when I saw Opie in the doorway.

"I can take her. I heard the door open but she woke you before I could throw jeans on and get to her." he told me quietly as he approached the bed. "It's fine Opie. She's already asleep again. Just leave her here." I whispered back. He nodded and as he turned to leave the room we both noticed Jax in the doorway.

"Opie, take your daughter. Sophie and I need to talk." he told us. Shit, Lexi...if your Old Man kills me I'm going to come back and haunt you, I thought to myself as I followed Jax back to the family room.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Sophie, I need to know where she went. I need you to tell me." I said for the third time in five minutes. It was 3:00am and I was exhausted but knew I had a limited amount of time to find Lexi.

"Jax...seriously for the third time I don't know. I do know she took cash out of her safe and left her credit cards and her phone so no one could find her. Give her the time she needs. That's my recommendation but if I had to guess she's gone to a beach somewhere. Now, I'm going back to bed. I suggest you go to bed as well. Your son will be awake in four hours." she replied before walking out of the room.

I pulled out my prepay and made a call to the one person who could hopefully track her. "Juice, I need you to grab your laptop and get your ass to my house now. Not a word to anyone." I ordered, hanging up the phone. I was determined to find Lexi and find out the truth once and for all.


	13. Turning Point

**A/N: I can't thank you enough for the wonderful reviews this story has been receiving. It has been such a fun story to write and I'm glad y'all are enjoying reading it. I hope you enjoy this one just as much and I'm hoping to have the next chapter posted in the next day or two!**

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 **S** **OPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"Jesus Christ! I need my house to be finished sooner rather than later. Lexi would not be happy if she saw this mess. Have the two of you never taken care of kids before? I thought Neeta was coming by today. I'm guessing by this disaster she either came and ran or didn't come at all." I said to Jax and Opie when I got home from Un-Southern. Thirty minutes before, at 5:00pm, I had received a frantic text from Jax begging me to come home. Now I knew why.

"I didn't want to have to explain Lexi's absence to anyone so I told Neeta we were staying home as a family today. Juice is still downstairs trying to track Lexi and Tom." Jax replied.

They looked like they had been thru a war. The kitchen looked like a war zone. Unable to help myself I pulled out my phone and took a picture. "For posterity. Who would have thought two big badass bikers were unable to survive less than ten hours with their own children? Luckily for Kenny and Ellie I brought dinner home from the café. I'm assuming you did feed Abel today?" I finished by looking at Jax.

"I'm not a complete fucking moron. I managed to give him his bottles, change his diaper, bathe him and put him down for his naps. It's the twins that are the challenge. Please help us. I know you're mad at us but please, Soph." Jax replied.

It was almost comical I thought as I pulled out containers of spaghetti and meatballs. It had been today's special at the café. Lexi's recipe for homemade meatballs and sauce, I thought to myself as I put together two bowls for the twins. Once I got the twins settled I assembled a giant bowl for the three men who were hiding down in Jax's mancave. I grabbed plates, the bowl, silverware and serving utensils before walking downstairs. When I reached the room I saw the three of them waiting for me. Shit...I just walked into a set-up.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Juice, go upstairs and watch the twins. We'll be up in a couple of minutes." I told the club's computer genius. I then turned to Sophie, who had sat down on the sectional and was piling food onto a plate. "You're obviously not going to kill me with the twins upstairs and I'm hungry. My suggestion to the two of you would be to sit down and eat as well." she said as she began to do just that.

"Jesus, Sophie! We don't typically go around murdering people on a daily basis. What is it with you and Lexi? Why do you insist on making things so fucking difficult? Whatever the reason is it needs to stop. Look, Juice didn't get any hits on any of Lexi or Tom's credit cards. Couldn't get a hit on his phone so we decided to trace your phone. We know you received multiple text messages from a burner today. Where is she Sophie? I need to know. I need to find her for her own safety. She's got Kohn, Stahl and Wendy after her. Plus, we're going to have to come clean to Clay and the club if I don't get her back here soon." I told her.

She stopped eating when I mentioned the club. "What will happen to her if you decide the club needs to know about what she knows? Will she be in danger from you and the others? If that's the case I'll tell her to keep running and not come back to Charming." Sophie replied.

"Why don't we talk about what you know Sophie? You're an outsider who has gained access to SAMCRO's inner circle because of Lexi. Do you know the details of what was in that safety deposit box? If you do and the club finds out that could put you in danger as well. Are you ready for that? Are you still going to protect her? Is she worth it Sophie?" Opie asked, trying to scare her into telling us where Lexi is.

I watched as Sophie stood up, calmly stack plates and headed for the stairs. She paused at the bottom of the staircase, turned to us and replied in a way I wasn't expecting...

"Lexi is my sister. We've been thru more shit together than anyone knows about. She saved my life when we were sixteen. I'd die for that girl. You insult all of us by asking if she's worth it Opie, considering what she just did for your kids. You should be telling your Brother that his Old Lady is not only worth much more than my loyalty, she's worth yours and his as well. Now, I'm going to bed. Clean up the kitchen and put your kids to bed. Respect and trust Lexi enough to give her till Friday. She's being smart. She's being careful. I would recommend you focus on keeping your kids alive and maybe locating the three assholes who want to kill her." Sophie said in such a cold, harsh tone that I knew we had just done major damage to our relationship with her.

"She's something else. She's not intimidated by either one of us. Wonder what she meant about Lexi saving her life." Opie said after Sophie went upstairs.

Before I could respond there was a crash coming for the kitchen, the sound of children crying and Juice yelling for help. I honestly didn't know how I was going to survive the week.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"Jesus Christ, Jackson! Are you sure Lexi only left for Georgia yesterday morning? You and Opie have made quite a mess here." I told my son as I stood in his kitchen on Wednesday morning. Neeta would have to be given a huge raise in order to convince her to clean up this disaster.

"And where's Sophie? Why isn't she helping out around here?" I asked, wondering what my son wasn't telling me.

"She's running Un-Southern by herself. There was a problem at Un-Southern Atlanta so Lexi had to head back east for a few days. She'll be back by the weekend." Jax replied as he gave Abel his bottle. "Please Mom. Just till Friday. Then Lexi, Opie and I will figure out a schedule starting next week."

"You know I'd never say no to you baby. Especially when it comes to spending time with my Grandson and my two surrogate Grandkids. God knows Mary won't lift a finger to help Opie with those two beautiful babies." I replied as I took out my phone and called Neeta.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Are you sure about all of this Lexi? It's a big gamble you're taking with your future and the future of Un-Southern." Tommy asked me as I sat on the Sun Deck at the Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island in San Diego. It was Wednesday, late afternoon, and I was getting ready to text Jax from the burner phone I bought when we left Charming on Monday night.

"Draw up the paperwork to buy the land in Charming and the land here in San Diego. I also need the documents from the box. I going to have Jax meet me here tomorrow night. I'm turning everything over to him. He can decide if he still wants to be with me. I also want to put Robert's house and my house in Savannah on the market. Find a real estate agent to handle it. Oh, and if you're serious about giving up your position at the State's Attorney's office and opening a private practice in Charming, you'll need to sit down with Clay and Jax." I instructed my cousin.

I sipped a glass of wine and sat on the deck overlooking the beach watching as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. It was almost December 1st and the hotel had been transformed into a winter wonderland with Christmas Trees, gingerbread houses and an ice skating rink set up on the edge of the lawn where the beach began. I had wonderful memories of staying here over the years with Robert and Sophie.

I picked up the phone and typed a text to Jax...

 _Hotel del Coronado...tomorrow 7:00pm. I'll_ _leave a key at the front desk for you. Kiss Abel goodnight for me and tell him I miss him. - LM_

I took the battery out of the phone, walked onto the beach and threw the phone and battery into the ocean. I wasn't willing to risk anyone being able to track my location...not until I found out where the three fucking lunatics are.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"She's in San Diego. I'm supposed to meet her tomorrow night at 7:00pm. I'll be gone overnight. Can the two of you manage the three kids from the time Neeta leaves tomorrow afternoon until she comes back on Friday morning?" I asked Sophie and Opie on Wednesday night.

"You're not making the trip by yourself. Not with Kohn, Stahl and Wendy still out there. I'm going with you. We need to figure something out with the kids." Opie replied. We both looked at Sophie.

"Jesus Christ. Guess there isn't much of an option. You both owe me bigtime for this. Please just bring Lexi home." she replied before walking out of the room.

Later that night I laid in bed unable to sleep. I couldn't begin to imagine what information Lexi had on the club. At 3:00am I heard the sound of the door to Abel's nursery open. There was no noise coming from the baby monitor. I grabbed my gun and ran down the hall. I stopped outside his door not believing what I was seeing. Lexi was sitting in the rocking chair with a sleeping Abel in her arms.

"I missed him too much to stay away any longer. We need to talk Jax, but not tonight. I need to be at Un-Southern by 8:00am. I can take Abel and the twins with me. I'll bring them back at lunchtime and work from home for the rest of the day. Whenever your schedule opens up and you can get home we can talk then." she whispered. I watched as she kissed Abel's forehead and put him back in his crib.

"I'm going to crash in Sophie's room for a couple of hours. You should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." she told me before opening the door to Sophie's room and quietly closing it behind her.

"Jax..." I turned to see Tom Montgomery outside of Lexi's office. I guess he was going to be sleeping on the pullout sofa in the office. "She hasn't slept much and her side is really bothering her. I couldn't convince her to see a doctor in San Diego. You may want to try talking some sense into her. After the two of you talk tomorrow you and I will need to talk as well. Just don't be too hard on her. She didn't miss Abel only...she missed you too. Goodnight." he said before walking into the office.

It must have been 5:00am by the time I finally fell asleep. I woke up at 9:00am when I heard Opie freaking out looking for his kids. I walked into the kitchen and told him that they were with Lexi.

I decided to swing by Un-Southern before going to TM. I walked thru the main entrance and saw Sophie coming down the stairs. "How is she?" I asked. "I think everything has caught up to her. She's not feeling well mentally or physically. You may want to suggest to Opie that he apologize to her." she replied, her voice dripping with venom. She was obviously still pissed and held me largely responsible, I thought as I ran a hand thru my hair.

Before I could comment the door opened behind me. "Speak of the devil." Sophie said before walking into the café. "Is she going to hate me forever?" Opie asked looking at Sophie's retreating back. "No. She's not thrilled with either one of us. She's worried about what's going to happen after Lexi and I talk this afternoon." I replied. "Speaking of Lexi, I'm heading into the lion's den now. Time to apologize and thank her. I'll see you at TM." Opie called out over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I couldn't concentrate. I took care of the things I needed to before I headed to the bank. I needed to make a deposit so I left the three kids with Cherry and walked out the front door of Un-Southern and right into Gemma.

"I heard you were back early. Where are you off to and where are the kids?" she asked looking me up and down. She wasn't stupid. She knew something was going on. She said she would walk down to the bank with me and then take the kids to her house for the afternoon so I could rest.

We were two stores away from Charming Savings and Loan when two men approached us. "How you doin' Ernie?" she asked the tall bald guy with the swastika tattoo. "It's going good. How's the beautiful Queen of bikers?" he replied. "Holdin' it together. What brings you here? Do Clay and Jax know you're in Charming?" she asked. I knew at that point the shorter of the two was Whistler, Darby's #2. When Jax's name was mentioned his face became red and angry.

"Four packs a day finally caught up to Mom. Stage four lung cancer. Needed to pick up a prescription for her." he replied. "Sorry to hear that." Gemma replied. "You look real good Gemma. Clay must be keepin' you happy." he told her causing me to cringe. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" he asked looking at me. Gemma sighed, knowing she didn't have a choice. She also knew Donut and Bowie were behind us and one of them was probably texting Jax.

"Ernest Darby, this is my Step-Daughter and Jax's Old Lady, Alexis Morrow." she said. "Jax's Old Lady, huh? Talk about keepin' it in the family. I had heard about the SAMCRO Princess but you are even more beautiful than I was lead to believe." Darby said to me. Before I could respond Gemma cut back in.

"Interesting new accessory." she said noticing Darby's tattoo. "Picked it up on my little retreat in Chino. It's simple but says it." he replied smugly. "Jewish doctors keeping your Mother alive must love it." Gemma retorted. "That's right. You got a little Jew in you, don't you?" he asked.

"A bit. On the angry Russian side. It was nice talkin' to you Ernie. Gotta catch my train back to Auschwitz now." Gemma said, leading me towards the bank. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Whistler staring at me. Creepy, I thought to myself.

After the trip to the bank, Gemma took the kids to her house. Tommy picked me up and I decided to nap for a bit. I crawled into my bed and was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow. It was dark when I woke up. I turned on the bedside lamp and almost screamed when I saw Jax sitting on the chair by our bedroom fireplace. "Jesus, Jax! You scared the shit out of me. Why are you sitting in the dark? Why didn't you wake me?" I asked him.

"You needed to sleep. Opie said you looked exhausted when he saw you today. I don't like seeing the dark circles under your eyes." he replied.

"It's 6:00pm? It's quiet. Where is everyone?" I asked. I was nervous, dreading the conversation we were going to have. "Opie is at his house with the twins. Gemma and Clay are keeping Abel for the night. Sophie is at work and I haven't seen your cousin. It's just us." Jax replied.

"Why don't we go downstairs? We can talk down there." I suggested before walking into my office. I opened the safe and pulled out two large manila envelopes before turning and following Jax down to his mancave.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Before we start I need to thank you. What you did for Abel, Kenny and Ellie is unbelievable. Those kids will be set for the rest of their lives. It was extremely generous." I told her. "This is yours. I took the letters out that you wrote me but thought you would want the ones from your Mom." I said as I placed the wooden box on the coffee table. I then grabbed two bottles of water from the bar and handed her one before taking a seat on the other end of the sectional.

"The first envelope is the paperwork detailing Abel's trust. I gave Opie his copy for the twins trusts earlier today. The second envelope is what my Mother left for me." she said, sliding the envelopes over to me. "There are no other copies of what my Mother left." she told me, answering my unasked question.

Fuck, I thought to myself as I looked at pictures. Pictures that captured Clay, Bobby, Chibs, Piney, Otto and Tig assembling guns at the Bluebird Warehouse. The Irish Kings – Brendan Roarke, Peter Dooley, Declan Brogan and Gaylen O'Shea – along with Michael McKeavey and Jimmy O'Phelan, members of the real IRA, were in the photos as well. There were also pictures of Clay and Tig standing over a couple of dead bodies with guns in their hands. There was another photo of me, Opie and Happy watching Bachman, our cleaner, dispose of a body.

Everything was dated and detailed. "How did she get these?" I demanded to know. The photos meant jail time for all of us if they ever got out. I didn't want to know what it meant for Lexi if the club found out about them. It was worse than I thought.

Then I thought of a solution. I would need to talk to Opie first. I was going to do something I had never done before. I was putting someone before my club. I was going to protect Lexi and Sophie.

"Get some rest. I have to go see Opie and then I'll be at the clubhouse. I'll have my Mother drop Abel off to you tomorrow afternoon. You might need to take the twins as well. Don't wait up...I'll probably spend the night in my dorm. You are not to leave this house without a patch." I told Lexi. I hated the look of fear and confusion on her face but I needed time to figure out if our relationship was going to survive this.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"He just left!? He didn't tell you what he was going to do? If he's going to bring the photos to Clay and the others?" Sophie asked two hours later when she got home from work.

"Nope. He only said I'm going to have the kids tomorrow afternoon. Sophie, if things look like they're going to head south you need to prepare to get the fuck out of Charming." I replied, hoping it wouldn't come to that.

We sat quietly in front of the fireplace in the family room, sipping on our wine. There was a knock at the front door and I got up to answer it. It was Happy. Fuck, I thought. "Hey Happy. What's going on? Jax isn't here." I told him trying to stay calm. I knew his nickname, the Tacoma Killer, was well earned. "Yeah I know. Jax wants me to take you to Opie's. I have the van. Grab whatever you need. We gotta go now." he told me.

Happy waited by the front door as I grabbed my cell phone, wallet and house keys. I was dressied in black leggings, an Un-Southern t-shirt with a University of Alabama hoodie over it. I slipped into a pair of Uggs before whispering instructions to Sophie. I told her if I didn't contact her within an hour then she was to get into her car and leave Charming for good.

Fifteen minutes later we pulled into the neighborhood known as SAMCRO's Corner. I got out of the van and followed Happy into Opie's house. "Thanks, Hap. I'll need you to take her home in thirty minutes or so." Jax said, not acknowledging me. He waited until Happy went back outside and then turned in the direction of the kitchen leaving me no choice but to follow him.

"Tommy! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed, more than a little surprised to see my cousin sitting in Opie's kitchen. He didn't answer...Jax did...

"There's only one way out of this situation. Having those photos and knowledge about what was done makes you and Sophie accessories after the fact. On the club's behalf I have retained your cousin to draw up legal documents that will protect all of us. I'm going to burn the photos. Opie and I are taking you at your word that there are no additional copies. This needs to be the end of it Lexi. No more secrets. If you're good with that we can sign the paperwork Tom has. He'll have Sophie sign a copy as well. Basically, if you go back on your word you'll be responsible for all legal fees, bail / bond money for anyone taken into custody and will commit to providing monetarily for the families of those behind bars. I think you also know what the club will vote to do if your Mother's plan for revenge ever becomes public knowledge."

I signed the paperwork without saying a word. I wasn't too concerned...Tommy would have found a way to protect me. "I'll have Happy bring you home. I need to finish up with the club's new lawyer and then I'm heading to my dorm. I'll be in touch sometime tomorrow. You look like shit Lexi...get some rest." he said leading me to the front door.

"Of course, I look like shit. I was shot ten days ago and have been thru hell since then. And now my Old Man tells me he's staying in his dorm as opposed to in our bed at home with me! I'll be honest Jax. This may have been the turning point we needed. You can never doubt now that I'm nothing less than 100% in. If you're not sure then you need to just tell me. Don't be an asshole and push me away because if you push too hard then you'll get your wish and I'll be gone for good. Goodnight." I replied, walking out of Opie's house and into the van.


	14. Moving On

**A/N: This chapter is a little longer than normal. I felt that it was important to explain what Lexi goes through on a daily basis at work and in her personal life. How she is trying to balance being a business owner, a Mother and an Old-Lady. I wanted to show what a strong person she is, but things are going to affect her in a different way over the next few chapters. I have an outline as to how her relationship with Jax is going to progress and it's going to be a bumpy ride for a bit. I hope you enjoy!**

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 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I was at Un-Southern the next morning by 6:00am. An hour later I stood outside watching as a crew carefully removed my window display from the boutique. The motorcycle was being replaced with a giant Christmas Tree and a winter holiday scene. I had hired a floral design company out of Lodi to handle the holiday installation for not only Un-Southern but for my house as well. I watched as an 8ft Balsam Fir was placed in the boutique's front window. The display was going to be a traditional New England Christmas scene. There will be two leather wingback chairs flanking the Christmas Tree. Afghans of green and red plaid will be hanging from the back of each chair. A roaring (fake) fireplace will be set in the corner with six red stockings on it. The names on the stockings belong to the six employees who work in the boutique. The gifts, all empty boxes of various sizes, wrapped in reds and gold will be placed under the tree that will be lit with white lights and adorned with gold beaded garland, red and gold ornaments along with four strands of thick red, green and gold ribbon coming down from the top of the tree where an angel will look over all of us. The boutiques in Savannah and Atlanta will have similar displays.

I walked into the foyer and saw that the round table which displayed the large fresh floral arrangement that was delivered each Monday, had been removed and in its place sat one of the most majestic Christmas Trees I have ever seen. The 16ft Balsam Fir was the perfect shape. Thousands of white lights were already twinkling as workers on ladders decorated the tree in reds and golds before placing presents underneath.

I continued into the café and almost did a little dance of happiness. The real gas fireplace had been turned on. From the fireplace mantle eight red stockings hung with the names of the café's employees. A beautiful 10ft Balsam Fir had presents placed underneath and was fully decorated standing in all its glory next to the fireplace. A leather couch sat facing the fireplace and was flanked by two leather wingback chairs and a coffee table. With the afghans completing the look on the back of the chairs and holiday music playing it seemed the only thing missing was someone sitting there and drinking hot chocolate.

"You've gone above and beyond this year. The decorations are amazing. It definitely reminds me of a New England Christmas scene." Sophie said coming thru the kitchen door, handing me a chai latte and a warm chocolate filled croissant before placing a plate of pancakes and bacon on the counter.

"Soph. I haven't been able to run since the shooting. I'm going to get fat if I keep eating like this." I told her as I took a bite of the croissant and sat down at the counter. "Lexi, you've lost weight. You need to eat. I'm going to bring home dinner tonight for both of us after we close. Don't look at me like that. We'll have tomato bisque, chicken caesar salad and freshly baked bread. It's today's lunch special. Now eat your breakfast. I have to go finish the bread." she instructed as she snagged a piece of bacon off my plate before heading into the kitchen.

I grabbed the plate and transferred everything into a to-go container. I grabbed plastic utensils and made my way up to the second floor. The staircase had red poinsettias on both sides of each step continuing all the way up to the offices on the third floor.

"Good Morning Lexi." Chelsea Unser called out from the reception desk when I reached the salon. "They must have worked all night getting this place ready." she said. I took a look around and was pleased with what I saw. The New England Winter Wonderland had made its way up to the salon.

"You're here early today. We don't open for another two hours." I said glancing at my watch. "December 1st...Inventory Day. I know Donna handled the ordering but I can do it once you sign off on what we need. I used to do it at my old salon in Oakland." she said. I was once again reminded that I needed to fill Donna's position.

"That would be great. Thanks, Chelsea. You were a manager at your old salon, right?" I asked. After she said yes, I continued. "Okay then. Why don't you take over as manager on a temporary basis...more like a trial period. I'll bump your pay and we can reevaluate after the first of the year to see if we want to make it a permanent position for you. I'll need to hire another receptionist ASAP. We are booked full this month. I have a pile of resumes in my office. Why don't you take a look through them and interview the ones you like. I'll do a final interview of your top two and hopefully we can get someone in here by the end of next week. I'll be up in my office until we open. Just yell if you need anything." I said before heading up to my office.

I sat down and picked at the breakfast Sophie had made as I went through my e-mails and looked at my calendar. Two conference calls this afternoon with Emily and Celia, the store mangers at Un-Southern Atlanta and Savannah to review monthly revenue reports and expenses. I was going to have to take a trip back East after the first of the year to look at locations large enough to house a boutique, café and salon in each city.

I had an e-mail from Elliott Oswald. He received notification of my land purchase in Charming and wanted to discuss my plans, today if possible. Another e-mail, this one from Luann Delaney. She wants to discuss a business opportunity. I also had a request for two magazine interviews and the Charming Gazette wanted to interview me as well. They wanted to do the interview today so the article could run in Sunday's paper. I scheduled the meeting with Oswald at 2:00pm, after the lunch rush was over so Sophie could join us. I e-mailed the newspaper reporter and scheduled the interview for 4:00pm. I replied to Luann and told her to meet me in the café at 12:30pm. I then texted Emily and Celia, moving the time of their calls to 10:30am and 11:30am respectively. I then went on-line and posted a job listing for an Executive Assistant on Monster and Indeed. I was in over my head and the way we were expanding things were just going to get crazier.

I grabbed the resumes for a salon receptionist along with the keys for Donna's office from a drawer in the credenza behind my desk and dropped them off to Chelsea before heading back down to the café.

"Lexi, there's a delivery out front for you." Donut said walking thru the main entrance as I reached the bottom of the staircase. I walked out front and smiled at the car salesman from Range Rover in Oakland, who personally delivered my new black Range Rover HSE. I signed the paperwork and as Chris from Range Rover handed me the keys he asked me on a date. I smiled and gently turned him down telling him I was involved with someone.

"Nice car." Sophie said coming up behind me and handing me a small bite size truffle. "Chocolate, Soph? It's not even 9:30am." I said, unable to help myself and placing the homemade chocolate on my tongue. "When you turn a hot guy down when he asks you out after your Old Man doesn't come home the night before, you deserve chocolate." she replied with a grin.

I told her about our meeting with Oswald, Chelsea's promotion and the interview with the Gazette today, which I wanted her to be part of. We were going to mention the next step of our professional venture during the interview.

"So, we're really doing this?" she asked excitedly with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "Yeah we are. With or without Jax I need to move on past all this and live my life." I replied as we walked arm-in-arm into the business we were about to expand.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"What do you mean she said she couldn't take the kids today?" I asked furiously when my Mother walked into the garage. "She said things are too crazy at work today and asked me to have Neeta watch the kids at my house until you and Opie were done for the day. Want to tell me what's really going on between you and Lexi? I heard you slept in your dorm last night." my Mother said.

"It's not a big deal Mom. We just needed some space. I'll head over to Un-Southern at lunch time and see what's going on." I replied. Fuck...she had one thing to do today and she couldn't even do that.

I pulled up to Un-Southern at 1:30pm and the first thing I noticed when I got off my Harley was the window display. What the fuck, I wondered. "Where is she?" I asked Donut as I walked up to the main entrance.

"Inside somewhere. We've been here since 6:00am. It's been non-stop since we got here. Her new car was delivered this morning. Car salesman was not happy when he asked Lexi on a date and she turned him down." Donut replied with a grin as he nodded at the black Range Rover. I was pretty sure the car retailed at close to $100,000.00.

I walked in and had to stop as I looked up at the giant Christmas Tree in the foyer. It was beautiful. I walked into the boutique and begrudgingly admired the window display. I looked around for Lexi but only saw Ashley and three other employees helping the twenty or so customers who were shopping. It was controlled chaos. Ashley saw me and told me to try the café for Lexi. I walked across the foyer and noticed two things right away when I entered the café. The first was, even at this late lunch hour, every table and every seat at the counter was taken. The second thing I noticed was Lexi sitting at a table with the Hale Brothers, the Deputy Chief and his asshole of a brother who happened to be the Mayor of Charming. He hated the club and we definitely didn't vote for him during the election.

I took three steps forward only to be stopped by Sophie. "I recognize that look Jax. This is not the time or the place. Don't embarrass her, or yourself, by causing a scene." she hissed at me. I looked at her, then at Lexi, who was sitting with her back to me, before turning and walking out the front door.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"What a great day." Sophie said as we sat on the oversized couch in the family room. The fireplace was roaring and the Christmas Tree twinkled while we at our dinner. True to her word Soph brought home tomato bisque, chicken caesar salad and bread.

"I'm exhausted. I don't think either one of us stopped all day. The article is going to make things interesting at Sunday dinner. Speaking of that I can't believe I haven't heard from Jax all day. If I didn't text Gemma before we left work I never would have known she was keeping Abel again tonight." I replied.

"Lex, I didn't want to tell you before the interview because I didn't want to upset you but Jax came by right after you stopped at David Hale's table. I think he thought you were having lunch with David and his brother. He was about to cause a scene when I stopped him. He wasn't happy. I meant to tell you but we got so busy with the dinner rush after the interview. I'm sorry." she replied.

"Well, that explains why Abel isn't here tonight. Jax is punishing me. I will tell you Abel will be back here tomorrow night. I'm working a half day on Sunday from 10:00am – 3:00pm and taking Monday off. I'll drop Abel at Gemma's before work on Sunday and then take him home with me after dinner. I'll be with him all day on Monday. Neeta will take him while I'm at work Tuesday - Friday and Gemma will watch him on Saturday's if Jax is unavailable. Now I just need to figure out a schedule for Kenny and Ellie." I told her as we got up to bring the empty dinner dishes to the kitchen.

 **OPIE'S P.O.V.**

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I let myself in. I still have the key you gave me." I told Sophie and Lexi.

"I think you need to come down to the clubhouse. Jax was already drunk before Church and now Ima's there." I told them. I knew Jax was upset and I was worried he would fuck things up with Lexi for good.

"What the fuck? I thought my Dad banned her from the clubhouse?" Lexi asked angrily.

"Apparently Jax reached out to Luann and told her to send the girls over for tonight's party. Oh, and you may want to change." I suggested as I looked at the two girls, standing before me, dressed in sweats.

"Thirty minutes." they said in unison as they ran towards the bedrooms. I heard all sorts of yelling, mostly out of Lexi's mouth, as I waited for them. On the way into the house I noticed white lights covering the bushes outside the front door and the large tree in the front yard glowing with Christmas lights. White lights hung from the roof and were draped around the railing on the front porch. There was an iron sleigh with two iron reindeer lit with twinkle lights on the front lawn. The cobblestone walkway leading from the driveway to the front porch glowed with luminaries as a wooden snowman family of three greeted guests on the top step with a sign that read "Merry Christmas from The Morrow-Teller Family".

As the girls were getting ready I then looked around the family room. It seemed to have transformed overnight into a Christmas lover's dream. I looked at the 8ft Christmas tree, decorated with white lights, red & silver ornaments, silver beaded garland, red and silver ribbon with an angel on top, that stood in front of the bay window in the family room. I could almost picture the wrapped gifts for family and friends, which would be exchanged on Christmas Day, sitting underneath the tree, on top of the dark red tree skirt. There were two giant red poinsettias set on each side of the entry way when you walked through the front door and a manger on the table in the family room. I noticed the fresh garland with white lights woven through it covering the top of the fireplace mantle. A cluster of three different size hurricane vases sat on either side of the fireplace filled with vanilla pillar candles surrounded by fresh cranberries. I noticed seven stockings hanging and couldn't believe what I saw as I took a closer look. The names read: Jax, Lexi, Abel, Sophie, Opie, Kenny and Ellie. After everything she still included me and the kids.

"I hope I didn't overstep by doing that. I am hoping to see them on Christmas Day at some point. I thought I could tell them Santa filled stockings for them here and left a few presents as well." Lexi said coming up and standing next to me.

"Will you decorate my house too? You're obviously really good at it and I want to make it a special Christmas for the twins this year. They somewhat understand about Santa but I want to do something different since Donna isn't here." I replied, not quite ready to look at her because my eyes were filled with tears.

"Tell you what Ope. I'll ask Neeta to clean your house on Monday. I'll take the twins to Chuck-E-Cheese in Stockton and then bring them back here. On Tuesday morning you can drop them off here. Neeta will watch them and Abel while the company I used for my house handles your holiday install. I typically handle the decorating each year myself but I'm limited until the stitches come out and the doctor gives me the okay to resume normal activities." she replied.

I turned and looked at her. She was dressed like she meant business. She changed into a pair of low cut tight black leather pants that exposed her flat stomach. Her shirt was a low cut v-neck tight blue spandex shirt, the same shade of sapphires as her eyes. She wore the black reaper jacket with the Swarovski crystals she designed when she opened Un-Southern. The sleeves of the jacket were pushed up slightly to expose Jax's crow. On her feet were black stilettos with a 4-inch heel. She was beautiful and angry. Jax was going to either thank me tomorrow or try to kick my ass I thought to myself as I turned to yell for Sophie to hurry up.

I turned and the words were stuck in my throat. The raven-haired beauty with the emerald green eyes is really fucking hot. I had been fighting my feelings for Sophie since the day Lexi first introduced us. I knew now it wouldn't be right, because of Donna's death, if I tried anything. She was dressed in a pair of tight dark blue jeans with cuffs at the bottom. She wore an emerald green silk spaghetti strap camisole style shirt under a black leather jack. Her eyes sparkled in anticipation as she grinned and said "Let's get this show on the road. I can't wait to see Lexi kick the pornslut's ass."

I shook my head and followed them outside. "I'll drive." I heard Sophie say to Lexi as I hopped on my bike. "Let's go. You're not going to want to miss this." I said to Rat and Filthy Phil.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Sophie and I followed Opie towards the clubhouse when we parked on the TM lot. I saw Jax over by the boxing ring watching Half-Sack beat the shit out of some hang-around. I didn't see Ima but I saw a familiar brunette standing next to my Old Man.

"Oh shit! The doctor's here?" Soph exclaimed as we watched Tara slide an arm around Jax's waist.

I didn't respond, instead choosing to walk into the clubhouse. I noticed the looks of surprise, open lust and sympathy as I passed the table where Bobby, Tig and Kozik sat.

"Two shots of Jameson and two Bud Lights. And another shot and beer for Sophie." I told Miles when I walked over to the bar. I downed the first shot and shot-gunned the beer as soon as it was set in front of me. I handed Soph her shot and said "I hope you have bail money." before downing my second shot. I turned and saw Ima heading out to the lot. "I'm going to chat with the pornslut now. Once I'm done I'm gonna have a nice little convo with the doctor." I said, grabbing my beer and heading towards the door.

"She's going to chat with Ima?" I heard Opie ask Sophie as they followed me out to the lot. "Chat, in this case, means she's going to beat the fuck out of Ima. Chibs is gonna have to patch her up when Lexi's done." Sophie replied.

"Rat, go get Bobby, Tig and Kozik. Tell them they might be needed on the lot to prevent Lexi from killing Ima." Opie told the prospect.

I was twenty feet away when I saw Jax say something to Tara. She walked over towards the ring and picked up her medical bag. "Looks like the doctor brought her own supplies. Maybe she can patch Ima up after I'm done." I replied as we watched Ima slide up to Jax. Sophie and I watched in disbelief as Ima started rubbing Jax's crotch.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Soph, take my rings and my jacket. I don't want the whore's blood getting on it." I said as I took them off. "I'll grab the beer. It's fine to hit her with your fists but not with a bottle." Opie told me taking away the Bud Light.

I walked up behind Jax and Ima. I tapped Jax on the shoulder and saw the look of surprise flash across his face when he turned and saw me. He gave me a once over and it was obvious that he liked what he saw. Ima knew she needed to try to stake a claim at that point. "Jax is busy little girl. Why don't you go home and play Nanny to his son?" she said as she once again reached for Jax's crotch. She didn't move fast enough though.

I grabbed the wrist on the hand she had extended towards Jax and twisted it so hard she fell to her knees. "Lexi..." I heard Jax say in warning before I heard my Father's voice. "She's your Old Lady. Step aside VP and let her handle her business...Old Lady business. You brought this on yourself and the pornstar." he told Jax.

"What did I tell you two months ago when I saw you last? I told you to stay away from me and mine or you'd regret it." I reminded Ima, twisting her wrist even more. "Bitch you're just a child. Jax needs a real woman to satisfy him." she replied maliciously.

"Oh, shit she's in for it now." I heard Sophie say as my fist connected with Ima's face. I let go of her wrist and as she attempted to stagger to her feet I hit her again with my right fist before following up with another blow to her face by my left fist. I followed that pattern two more times before the bitch collapsed to the ground.

"All right. Enough." I heard a voice say as someone grabbed me from behind. I didn't look, I just turned and swung. My fist connected with Jax's mouth. "What the fuck Lexi?" he yelled.

I ignored him and turned back to Ima. "See this?" I yelled at her as she cowered on the ground, bleeding from her nose and mouth. Her right eye was almost swollen shut. I held out my right wrist. "This is Jax's crow." I told her as I grabbed Jax's right arm. "And see this? That's my name tattooed on his arm. He belongs to me. Stay away from me and mine. I'm not going to tell you again." I told her before turning to Jax. "Get your shit together Jackson. If you ever do this again we will be done for good." I hissed angrily.

I put my jacket back on but knew I needed to get my hands cleaned up before I attempted to put my rings on. I looked at my Dad who was standing there with a cigar in his mouth and a big ass grin on his face. "Tell Gemma to get a message to Luann Delaney for me. If she wants my money to build a new studio then she needs to fire Ima. I'll wire the money after she signs the paperwork Tommy's going to give her next week." I told him. "Going into the porn business?" he asked, obviously surprised. "In a manner of speaking. K.A.E. Enterprises is. It's the name of the corporation I am setting up for Kenny, Abel and Ellie." I told him.

"Ready to go?" I asked Sophie. "What about the doctor?" she asked in return. "I don't think she'll be a problem anymore." I replied before turning to Tara who was trying to stop Ima's bleeding. "Consider that a message Tara. I'm pretty sure you understand." I told the brunette doctor. "You broke her nose. But yeah, we're good. I get it now." she replied. "Good. If you mean that then you should stop by Un-Southern one day soon. Lunch will be my treat." I replied, before walking across the lot and getting into Sophie's Mercedes SUV.

"Holy shit! That was insane!" Sophie exclaimed, the look on her face turning from one of impressed to one of concern. "I need you to bring me to St. Thomas. I ripped my stitches." I told her as I leaned back in the passenger seat, closing my eyes as my shirt soaked up the blood seeping out of my open wound.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

My head fucking hurts. Fucking hangover from hell and I'm late for work I thought to myself as I reached for my cigarettes. I sat on the edge of the bed in my dorm, naked as the day I was born, with a cigarette in my mouth and my head in my hands, as the memories from last night came rushing back to me. Ima...Tara...Lexi, I thought as I got up and walked into the bathroom. I had a blue and purple bruise forming on the corner of my mouth and a split lip from where Lexi's fist connected with my face. Shaking my head I got into the shower hoping the water would help soothe my aching head.

I smelled coffee as soon as I stepped out of the shower. "What the fuck, Mom? I'm naked!" I exclaimed as I walked out of the bathroom. "Please. It's nothing I haven't seen before Jackson. Here." she said tossing a clean towel at me. "Clay told me about last night but his tale doesn't do the video justice." she said. "What video?" I asked, looking around for the Excedrin. "The video of Lexi beating the shit out of Ima, before she took a swing at you. Sophie took it with her phone and texted it to me this morning. What the fuck were you thinking inviting both Ima and Tara here? Whatever this shit is, between you and Lexi, you need to fix it. She is the best thing to ever happen to you. I'm dropping Abel off at Un-Southern at 7:00pm before I meet Luann for dinner. I have to deliver Lexi's message to Luann. Lexi is keeping Abel tonight and dropping him off tomorrow morning before she heads to work. You might want to think about seeing your son at some point. I'll forward you the video." my Mother told me before leaving me alone in my dorm.

It was almost 12:00pm before I made it out to the lot. I walked over to the garage knowing I was three hours late. "Well if it isn't his Royal Highness, the Prince Of Charming. You're three hours late shithead. That means you're working late to finish the cars on your list." Clay said angrily, shoving a clipboard against my chest.

"Clay..." I called out as he walked into the office. "Not now Brother. Let him cool off. He's pissed that you did something so stupid last night like bringing Ima and Tara here and as a result Little LK injured herself and ended back at St. Thomas last night." Chibs told me.

"What? Lexi's in the hospital?" I asked, confused because I was pretty sure Gemma said she was dropping Abel off to Lexi later today. "She's at work now. When she turned, swinging at you, she ripped her stitches open. The doctor closed them up. She's fine. I checked on her this morning before I dropped the twins off at Gemma's for the day." Opie replied.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

After spending a quiet Saturday night at home with Abel and Sophie I headed towards Gemma's at 9:00am. "I'll be back by 4:00pm. What should Sophie and I bring with us tonight?" I asked as I kissed Abel goodbye and handed him over to Gemma.

"Desserts and wine." she replied. "You hear from Jax?" she then asked. "Nope and I don't have time to talk about your son right now." I replied before kissing my dad on the cheek and walking towards the front door.

"Clay..." I heard Gemma start to say. "Leave it be Gemma. Whatever it is, it's for them to work out. Now hand over my Grandson. He needs some man time with his Papa." I heard my Dad reply.

After another hectic day Sophie and I walked to our cars, our arms loaded with pies and bottles of wine. "You ready to see him? she asked. "Yes and no. I miss him but would have wished for something more private than Sunday dinner. See you there." I replied before getting in my car and heading towards Gemma's.

I walked into the house and noticed how quiet it was. My Dad and the guys were down in his mancave watching the football game. Sophie and I then heard little giggles coming from the living room, which meant Kenny and Ellie were playing and entertained. Tiki, Bobby's son, must be downstairs with the guys because I didn't hear Ellie trying to boss him around.

"Hey Gemma. How was Abel today?" I asked as I picked him up out of the baby swing Gemma kept in the kitchen. I looked around and noticed Cherry and Luann helping prepare dinner.

"Gem, what do you need me to help with? Lexi needs to relax. She's been on her feet for three days straight at work. Dr. Bentley told her if she loses any more weight or rips her stitches again then he'll admit her back into St. Thomas." I sat in a chair with Abel on my lap and listened as my so-called best friend ratted me out to my Step-Mother.

"Sounds to me like you've both been overdoing it lately. Un-Southern Grille and Wine Bar scheduled to open by April with the Inn at Un-Southern Charming opening in June. And on the old Bluebird land. Jesus, it was some article in the paper and as proud as we are, of you both, we wished you had told us and we didn't have to read about it. But I must say you both looked absolutely gorgeous in the photos and Un-Southern looks amazing with the Christmas decorations." Gemma said to both of us as Cherry handed Sophie and I each a glass of wine.

"What does Jax think about all this?" Gemma asked, fishing for information. I sighed, shrugged my shoulders and told the truth. "He doesn't know about it. You know we're taking some time apart. Honestly Gemma, I'm moving on with my life and with my plans either with or without Jax. I'm hoping it's with him because I love him but I'm not sure what he wants right now. I know on Friday night he definitely didn't want me." I replied hating how bitter I sounded.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I stood outside the kitchen listening to the conversation. It all came down to trust. It wasn't a matter of love or wanting her. I loved her more than I had ever loved in my entire life. She was generous, kind, would protect Abel and Opie's kids and she loved me unconditionally. As far as wanting her...fuck I get hard just thinking about her.

Shaking my head I turned and walked down the hall and out the front door. I hope we'll be moving on together, I thought to myself as I smoked a cigarette. I heard the door open behind me. I turned, expecting to see Lexi, but saw Sophie glaring at me instead.

"Everyone is waiting to eat. Are you joining us?" she asked, probably hoping I'd say no. "Yeah. I'm coming." I replied taking one last drag of my smoke. She be an interesting couple of hours, I thought as I followed her inside to the dining room table.


	15. Author's Note

Again - I can't thank everyone enough for the amazing reviews. It puts a huge smile on my face when I read them.

So I have an outline of where this story is going to go and somehow, when I wrote the next three chapters over the past three days, the story has changed. I will say that I don't read anyone else's fanfiction until after I post, but I just read some of the stories that I follow. There is a brief storyline in one of them that seems similar to what I will be posting in not my next chapter but the chapter after that titled Past Indiscretions and The Devil Within. However it's a brief mention in the other author's story and it's a major turning point in the relationship between Jax and Lexi.

I'm also considering giving Opie his own story with Sophie, but I'm not sure if I have enough of a story there yet. Would love to hear what you think of that possibility.

I hope you continue to enjoy Jax and Lexi's story. It's going to be rocky for a while.


	16. December

**LEXI'S P.O.V. (2 WEEKS LATER)**

"Good Morning." I said to Gemma and my Dad as I dropped Abel off before work. "Morning Lexi-Kate. How's my Grandson this morning?" my Dad replied. "He's good. I'm running late. Gemma it doesn't look like Sophie and I will make it for dinner tonight but I'll send someone over with desserts and wine. With one week to go before Christmas we are way too busy. We've even opened the salon seven days this week." I told my Step-Mother as I kissed Abel goodbye.

"Lexi, it's the second week in a row that you've missed family dinner. Are you sure you're not just avoiding Jax?" she asked in return. "I'm sure. We're just really busy. Gotta go. I'll be by to pick him up tonight after work." I replied running out the door. I pulled out of the driveway and as I drove back down their street I passed Jax on his motorcycle. Finally going to see his son, I thought to myself bitterly. Then my mind flashed back to that Sunday dinner and the last time I saw my Old Man.

 **FLASHBACK**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (2 WEEKS AGO)**

It was uncomfortable, I thought to myself, as everyone looked at the empty chair to my right. One of Gemma's family rules was we didn't begin to eat until everyone was at the table. "Where the fuck is Jax? I'm starving." Tig complained from the seat across from me. "This is ridiculous. I'll go get him." Sophie announced, getting up from her place at the table, two seats down from me, on the other side of Opie. "It will be okay Lex. Promise." Opie said under his breath, only loud enough for me to hear.

"This looks great Ma." Jax said, a few minutes later, as he said down next to me, not acknowledging my presence.

"Lexi-Kate, Opie tells me you're helping with his Christmas decorations. He told us how great your house looks." my Dad said as we ate the roast beef dinner Gemma had prepared.

"Yeah. I'm going to take the twins tomorrow so Neeta can clean his house. Then the company I used to decorate at Un-Southern and my house will take care of Opie's Christmas installation on Tuesday. Since I'm off tomorrow why don't you and Gemma come by around 6:00pm? We can have dinner and you can see my Christmas Tree." I replied.

"Sounds like a great idea." Gemma replied, her eyes darting back and forth between Jax and I.

"Little LK. It's only three weeks to your birthday. Your first one with SAMCRO." Chibs said halfway thru the meal. "Jackie-boy, are you throwing her a party at the clubhouse the night before?" Chibs asked my Old Man.

"I think that's a great idea. Lexi and Sophie won't have to worry about working the next day because it's Christmas Eve. They can enjoy themselves on Saturday night and not have to worry about getting up early on Sunday morning. I'll have the Cherry and Luann help me with the details." Gemma replied, giving Jax no choice but to agree.

"As great as that sounds, and you know how much I appreciate the offer, I don't think it's something that can be done this year. We have extended hours at Un-Southern this month on Saturdays. We're now open from 8:00am - 10:00pm and we decided to open for a half day on Christmas Eve for last minute shoppers and Catering orders out of the café. Soph and I will be working from 8:00am – 2:00pm on Christmas Eve." I replied.

"Sounds like things are busy this month Lexi. Great article, by the way, in today's paper. Congrats on expanding." Bobby called out from the far end of the table.

"Who's going to take care of Abel while you're working all these crazy hours? Sounds like my Son isn't as important to you as I once thought." Jax said, causing Gemma to gasp as an uncomfortable silence once again filled the room.

"How dare you? There isn't a person in this room who doubts my love for Abel, except apparently you. Maybe you, as his Father, should plan on taking care of YOUR Son." I replied angrily. Talk about a low blow...insinuating that I didn't care about Abel.

"Gemma, I'm sorry but I think it's best that I leave. Opie, why don't you drop the twins off after dinner. We'll have a sleep over tonight." I said as I got up from the table. I picked Abel up from the baby swing and walked into the kitchen. I quickly put his jacket and SOA beanie on him. I wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment.

"Where are you taking my kid?" Jax asked from his seat. "I'm taking him home." I replied, fighting back the tears. "No, you're not. He can stay here tonight." he replied, taking a sip of his beer, look at me as if he was daring me to argue.

"No, Jackson. Abel can not stay here tonight. There's no reason why he shouldn't be at home with his Mother." Gemma said.

"She's not his Mother." Jax replied. "You're way out of line man." Opie growled. "Lexi take Abel home. I'll call you later." my Dad instructed before telling Jax to follow him down to his mancave. So much for a happy Sunday family dinner, I thought bitterly as I carried Abel to my car.

 **PRESENT DAY**

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"So how did Gemma take the news that we won't be there again for Sunday dinner?" I asked Lexi when she walked into the café twenty minutes before we opened.

"Pretty much the same reaction as last week. She thinks I'm avoiding Jax." she replied. "Smells great in here." she said, changing the subject, as I handed her a latte.

"You look tired, Lex. You need a break." I told her. "So do you, Soph. And we'll have one soon. We're closed on Christmas Day and then again on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. For the first time since I opened the first store in Savannah two years ago, beginning January 1st all Un-Southern stores, here and in Georgia will be closed for a week! You'll be able to get settled in your new house and I'll have a few days with Abel before I head down to San Diego to start interviewing General Managers for Un-Southern Coronado. They're going to break ground on the complex by the end of next month and we need someone in place to oversee day-to-day operations. I'll have the final two candidates come up here so we can make the decision together. Ideally, it's going to be a great prototype for what we want to do in each city. Everything on one giant piece of land. The boutique, café and salon housed in one building. Across the street, right on the water will be the Inn and next door to that the restaurant." she replied, deflecting the conversation away back onto work.

"Doesn't sound like much of a vacation, Lexi. Why don't we take a few days that week and go somewhere warm? Maybe head down to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. We could leave on New Year's Day morning and come back on the 4th. You could then take Abel to San Diego with you. I bet Cherry would love to go and watch Abel while you're in meetings. If you have Half-Sack with you Jax can't bitch about you being unprotected." I suggested.

She looked at me for a long minute before she smiled. "You know what? That sounds like a great idea. I'll book it but let's leave on New Year's Eve morning. I'll charter a plane and we can be there by 4:00pm or 5:00pm. We both hate New Year's Eve...too many painful memories so let's make this one something to remember for the first time since we were sixteen. Gotta go open the doors." she replied.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (6 DAYS LATER)**

It was 8:00pm on December 23rd and the salon, café and boutique were as busy now as they had been all day. It had been a steady rush of people thru the doors since we first opened at 8:00am this morning. Professionally speaking I had never been happier, I thought to myself, as I walked into the café and greeted Wayne and Della Unser, who were having dinner.

"Y'all are coming tomorrow night with Chelsea, right?" I asked. I decided to host an open house at home on Christmas Eve from 6:00pm – 10:00pm. People could come and go as they pleased. Sophie was handling the food and I was taking care of the entertainment and, most importantly to some, the alcohol. "Yes, we are. Looking forward to it. You're sure we can't bring anything?" Della asked me for the third time this week. After assuring her I had it covered the conversation turned to my upcoming vacation with Sophie.

"I keep trying to convince Della to come away with me for a vacation but she wants to wait until I retire and do a three week Mediterranean cruise." Wayne told me. "You retiring soon, Wayne?" I asked, surprised because this was the first I had heard of it. Not only that but having a new police chief could mean problems for SAMCRO. "July 1st. Hale will take over as Chief and I'll be taking my beautiful bride on that cruise. Uh, Lexi...Clay doesn't know yet." he told me, almost reading my mind.

"Wait until after the 1st of the year to tell him. Ask David to keep it quiet until then as well. That's my suggestion. Now, enjoy your dinner and I'll see you both tomorrow night." I replied, before turning to the next table.

"Lexi, thank you so much for having us for dinner." Tara said from the table she was seated at with Dr. Namid and Dr. Bentley. "My pleasure. I can't thank you enough, both of you, for everything you did for Abel. And you..." I said grinning at Dr. Bentley. "Instead of an ugly scar mine resembles the shape of a heart. I don't know if that's how the bullets hit me or if you're just a talented genius. But thank you for saving my life." I told him before addressing the three of them. "I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." I said before turning to leave the table.

"Lexi..." Tara said coming up behind me. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but just remember this. Jax isn't used to being with a strong independent female. He's used to being with women like Wendy and Ima a majority of the time. But obviously, you're different because as far as I know, Jax Teller has never shown up in public with roses for anyone else before." she told me, smiling in the direction of the Christmas Tree.

I turned and saw Jax standing there with Abel in one arm and a dozen long stemmed red roses in the other hand. I walked over to him and took Abel from him. "Hi." he said leaning over to give me a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Well Abel had an early birthday gift for his Mom." he replied, handing me the roses and taking Abel back from me. "Really? Last time we spoke you made it clear to everyone that I'm not his Mother." I replied softly, keeping a smile on my face, so the customers in the café wouldn't realize anything was wrong.

"I deserve that. I admit it and I'm sorry Lexi. I know you still have another hour or so before you close but I was hoping it would be okay if I put him to bed tonight and waited for you to come home so we can talk." he replied.

I looked at him. He was clear-eyed and sober. He was freshly showered and looked like he had his hair cut and goatee trimmed recently.

"Lexi is done now. Why don't y'all head out together?" Sophie said coming up behind me. I looked at her. "I have it covered here. Go home and start putting your family back together." she told me quietly.

"I have to finish something in my office. I'll meet you at home in thirty minutes." I replied, kissing Abel's forehead and walking away.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Well that could have gone a lot worse, kiddo." I said to Abel as I pulled up to the house. I got him out of the truck and carried him up the walkway. Ope had been right. The house looked amazing on the outside.

"Any problems tonight?" I asked Rat and Miles as I reached the front porch. Clay decided he wanted two people on Lexi's house 24/7. With her birthday approaching he thought Kohn was bound to pop up.

"All's quiet on the home front. There's soup in the crockpot if you're hungry. Sophie and Lexi told us we could help ourselves." Rat replied.

"Thanks. Quinn, Happy and Kozik will be with Lexi when she gets home. They'll stay until Filthy Phil and Half-Sack arrive at midnight. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I replied walking through the front door.

I walked inside and was impressed, but not surprised, by how beautifully decorated the house was. "Come on little man. It is past your bedtime. Need to get you to sleep so I don't embarrass myself in front of you when I beg your Mom to forgive me for being such an asshole." I said to my son a short time later as I rocked him to sleep. I had been a shitty Father and a shitty Old Man for the past month, I thought to myself.

"I don't know. I think he might enjoy hearing your apology." I looked up when I heard Lexi's soft voice coming from the doorway. "He's asleep Jax. Put him in his crib so we can talk before I go to sleep. I have an early morning. I'm going to change. I'll meet you in the family room." she said quietly before continuing down the hall.

This is definitely not going to be easy, I thought to myself as I put Abel down and walked into the family room. I turned on the gas fireplace, noticing there was a stocking with my name on it. I then looked at the Christmas Tree and saw the giant pile of gifts under it. I crouched down and saw quite a few of them had Abel's name on the tags. There was a gift for each one of my SAMCRO Brothers and multiple gifts for Gemma, Clay, Sophie, Opie and the twins. Then I noticed a couple with my name on them. Maybe this will be a little easier than I had anticipated I thought to myself with a grin.

"Just because your name is on a few gifts doesn't mean I'm not mad and hurt. What do you want Jax?" she asked from behind me.

I turned and looked at her. I couldn't help but smile as I did. She had changed into red flannel pajama pants with snowmen all over them and a white long sleeve cotton shirt with a giant snowman on it. She was so damn cute.

"I'm sorry..." I began. "Stop Jax. Words don't mean shit at this point. We've been through the apology thing before, on both sides. As much as I appreciate the words it's your actions that will prove if you mean it. I'm killing myself here between work, taking care of Abel, helping Opie with the twins and working on whichever charity cause Gemma throws at me. I can't do it alone anymore. You once told me I couldn't be halfway in with one foot out the door if this relationship was going to work. I think I have more than proved I'm all the way in. Christ I even beat the shit out of Ima, twice. It's now time for you to prove it. I can't keep doing this. It's killing me. It's not healthy for either one of us and I don't want Abel to grow up in this type of environment. I need to sleep. It's after 11:00pm and I have to be up early. You can crash in the guestroom or downstairs tonight, if you want." she said. She got up from the couch without another word and walked towards the bedroom.

I sat, staring at the fireplace for a few minutes, lost in my own thoughts. "Want my opinion?" Sophie asked from the kitchen. "Yeah. I do." I said, realizing I really did want to know what she thought.

"She'll be up by 6:00am. Be awake by then. I left a chai latte k-cup in the Keurig. Bring a cup and her birthday gift into her then. Those papers, yes, I know all about them, will help break down the wall around her heart. There's no better gift you could give her for her birthday. Goodnight." Sophie said, retreating towards her bedroom.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I woke up, before my alarm went off, when I heard my bedroom door open. I couldn't believe it. In walked Jax carrying a tray with a cup of latte, two warm croissants, a single red rose and a box wrapped in silver paper with a card attached to it.

"Happy Birthday, Lexi." he said as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. "Thank you. What's all this and at 5:30am?" I replied, knowing the surprise was showing on my face. "I had a little help from Sophie with the food and drink but, the present and card is all me." he replied handing me the steaming mug. I took a sip and wondered what he and Soph talked about after I went to bed. If she helped him she was obviously Team Jax.

"Have one of the croissants. It's too early for me to eat both. Plus, Sophie is bound to shove some sort of breakfast down my throat before we open today. Thankfully I received the okay from Dr. Bentley to resume all normal activities, like running, after the 1st of the year." I told him, unable to help myself eyeing the box.

"Want your gift?" he asked with a grin on his face. "Yes! I'm sorry. I can't help it. As much as I love giving gifts I love receiving them on my birthday." I replied with a smile as I placed the mug on my nightstand.

He handed me the card first. It was one of those Hallmark Between You and Me cards. It talked about past mistakes, forgiveness, love and birthday wishes. It was signed simply "Love, Jax". It was sweet and pulled at my heart. I looked up at him, with tears in my eyes and thanked him for the beautiful card. He then handed me the box.

It was a long rectangular box, the shape of a tie box. It was light as a feather. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure there's actually something in here?" I asked. "Just open it." he replied softly.

I took off the silver paper, realizing he must have found the paper and box in my office last night. I opened the lid off the box and pulled out folded up paperwork. I unfolded the documents and felt the tears fall as I read them. "Oh, Jackson..." I whispered. It was paperwork to adopt Abel legally. All that was required was my signature and then a meeting with a judge, which had been scheduled for later today at 2:00pm in Lodi.

"How did you get a judge to agree to this...on a Sunday...on Christmas Eve? What about Wendy? Wait, I have to work until we close at 2:00pm." I replied, a million thoughts running thru my mind.

"Tom called in a favor to a judge. Sophie agreed to cover things from 1:00pm – 2:00pm at Un-Southern. We'll be back here in plenty of time to set up for tonight's open house. Wendy signed her rights as Abel's Mother over to me before she left the hospital in October. He needs you Lexi. You've been his Mother since the day he was born. This just makes it legal so there's no doubt in your mind that I do know how much you love him." he replied.

"You have no idea what this means. Thank you Jax." I said, leaning forward to give him a light kiss. "I need to get ready for work." I whispered a few moments later. "I know. Abel will be up by the time you need to leave. Your Son and I will drop you off and then pick you up at 1:00pm." he replied. "That sounds great." I said, getting out of bed and heading towards the master bath.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

I kept glancing at the clock for the past two hours waiting, on pins and needles, for Lexi to walk in. At 7:15am I heard the front door of Un-Southern open and I ran out to the foyer. "Happy Birthday, Lex!" I said, handing her a mimosa. I tapped her glass with mine and looked at her as we each took a sip.

"Ever think about how many traditions we have, Soph? We have a lifetime of them. Handing out candy on Halloween, mimosas on our birthdays, avoiding the world on New Year's, going to the Super Bowl in February, going to Chicago for St. Patrick's Day...the list goes on and on. We have so many of them. Robert made sure we had a good life." she said.

I knew this birthday, her first one without the man she considered to be her Dad for most of her life, would be bittersweet for her. Hopefully, what I said next would be the right thing. "We'll find a way to keep some of those traditions Lex, but now it's time for us to create new ones with your family and most importantly with your Son."

"My Son. Talk about a grand gesture. Jax goes from one extreme to the next so fast it gives me whiplash. Abel is going to legally be mine, Soph. He's my Son. Talk about an unbelievable gift." she replied with a smile. A smile that was full of so much happiness I knew the healing process had officially begun.

"Come on. I have homemade cranberry bread cooling in the café. Your birthday gift from me is in there as well." I told her, noticing her smile get even bigger. Yes, my best friend is back, I thought walking into the café.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"That was too easy. It's really official?" I asked Jax and Tommy, unable to believe it, as we walked out of the judge's chambers at 2:30pm, with Abel in my arms. "He is officially your son and a middle name will be added to his records. I'll file the paperwork on Tuesday. Abel Montgomery Teller is a strong sounding name. It's perfect for this little fighter. It's a really nice tribute Lexi. Robert would be proud. I need to run a quick errand. I'll see you at home in a bit." Tommy replied.

"You hear that, little man? I'll tell you she's a tough one, but she'll be the best Mom in the world." Jax teased as he shook Abel's little fist. We reached Jax's truck and I waited for him to unlock the back door so we could put Abel in his car seat. I looked down and noticed something in Abel's hand. "What's this? What do you have there, my love?" I asked as I pried his fist open. "Looks to me that is the first birthday gift your son has given you." Jax replied as I held a platinum necklace with a Mother-Child pendant on it.

"It's beautiful." I said to Jax a few minutes later as he drove us back towards Charming. "Lexi, I know it doesn't make the past month go away but I'm trying here. I hope you know that. My Mom told me about your upcoming trip with Sophie and I think it's a good idea for you to get away for a few days. I am also hoping instead of Cherry and Half-Sack going to San Diego with you and Abel you might consider letting me tag along. I'll have to clear it with Clay but I can't imagine there would be any reason I can't get away from TM or my SAMCRO duties for three days. Just think about it." he said as he pulled into my driveway.

It seemed almost too good to be true. I have found, since moving to Charming, the other shoe always seems to drop. Hopefully that wouldn't be anything I needed to worry about anytime soon.

Christmas Eve was wonderful but Christmas Day was truly amazing. I had stuffed all the stockings after everyone left on the 24th and at some point, during the night Sophie stuffed mine. Jax must have gotten up with Abel because when I woke up at 8:30am I found them in the kitchen. Jax was cooking omelets while Sophie gave Abel his bottle. "Merry Christmas." I said to the three people I loved the most in the world.

"It's about time! Merry Christmas, Lexi!" Sophie said. "Merry Christmas, Soph. Merry Christmas, Abel." I said kissing his head. His blue eyes sparkled as he sucked on his bottle. "Merry Christmas, Jax." I said, standing up on my toes and giving him a quick kiss.

"Smells good." I said, reaching around him to preheat the oven. "I'll put the turkey in at 9:00am. It should be done by 2:00pm, but first in keeping with our tradition it's time for Christmas mimosas." I said pulling the champagne and orange juice out of the fridge. "I told Jax about out Christmas morning tradition of omelets and mimosas. He told me omelets are his specialty so he is the Chef this morning." Sophie replied. "That's because it's the only thing he can cook." I teased, handing them each a mimosa before heading out the garage to get the turkey out of the fridge.

"I can't believe you prepped the turkey last night after everyone left." Jax said as I put the turkey in the oven and we all sat down to enjoy our Christmas breakfast. "It's better doing it that way. The turkey soaks up all the spices, flavors and juices when you leave it upside down in the fridge over night after you prep it." I said. This was way too normal, I thought to myself. Once again, I had the feeling something was going to go wrong.

"Let's facetime Opie and the twins." I said after breakfast. I pulled out my iPad and laughed when Opie answered. There was wrapping paper all over the living room and the twins were running around. Opie looked overwhelmed and exhausted and I was pretty sure Piney had already been sneaking shots of tequila to help survive the morning.

By 1:00pm my house was full of noise and laughter. Clay and Gemma, Chibs, Bobby and his Son Tiki, Opie and the twins, Half-Sack and Cherry, Piney, Jax, Sophie, Abel and I all gathered in the family room to exchange gifts. Tommy left early in the morning for his parent's house in Beverly Hills. Tig, Happy, Kozik, Juice and Quinn had all gone up to Reno for the holiday. Bowie, Lorca and Donut had gone back to Tacoma for good unless my Dad thought they needed to come back. Rat, Miles and Phil were currently outside on guard duty.

I got up and walked into the kitchen to check on the turkey and then into the dining room to make sure the table was fully set. "Everything okay, Lexi-Kate?" my Dad asked coming up behind me. I signed. "It's a bittersweet day. I love having you all here, more than you'll ever know, but I can't help think of Robert today. It's my first Christmas without him. Plus, I just have this feeling that something is going to go wrong. Things almost seem too good right now. I don't know. Maybe I just really need this vacation next week." I replied. As I walked back into the kitchen I didn't notice the worried look he gave me.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so after the hellish Sunday dinner early on this chapter is filled with love. I think everyone deserves to be happy, especially over the holidays, so I wanted this to be a happy chapter. I'm so excited for y'all to read the next chapter. Things take a giant turn in Charming and the New Year doesn't start off full of love and happiness...**


	17. Past Indiscretions & The Devil Within

**JAX'S P.O.V. (6 DAYS LATER)**

"Hey." I said to Opie as he followed the twins through my front door. "Girls get off okay?" he asked in return. "I guess. Lexi texted me when they reached the hanger in Oakland. The jet was supposed to leave fifteen minutes after that. She said she would text me when they land in Nassau. They should be on the ground in forty-five minutes or so. There's supposed to be a car waiting to take them over to the resort on Paradise Island when they arrive." I told him, trying not to sound worried. Lexi and Sophie on their own without protection had been a constant battle between us since Christmas and definitely did not help pave my way out of the guestroom and back into the bedroom.

"It's definitely going to be a different type of New Year's Eve for us this year." Ope said as the twins began to build a Lego castle in the family room. A three-month-old Abel napped in the nursery as Opie and I watched the Liberty Bowl on TV as we finished off the pizza we had ordered the twins for lunch.

"Yes, it is. Last New Year's Eve we were hosting your Welcome Home Party at the clubhouse. Man, that night is such a blur. It sucked, those two years, you were in Stockton. It should have been me and not you. Your kids were too young. I should have told Clay I'd handle the job." I told my best friend, knowing I truly meant what I said.

"Wasn't your place, Jax. We all know explosives is my thing. I would have made it out if fucking Kyle Hobart didn't pussy out and get so scared. Prick took off in the van and left me behind. Fucking asshole." he replied bitterly. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes watching the game before he spoke again...

"I can't go back again. I'm the only parent that Kenny and Ellie have now. But, if anything should happen, either I go back to jail or need to leave town for some reason or God forbid end up dead I would like you and Lexi to raise my kids. I'm meeting with Tom on Tuesday at his new office to put together a Will and Custodial Agreement. It's been on my mind since Donna died and watching the way the twins are with Lexi makes the two of you the logical choice, the easy choice. My Dad isn't a suitable role-model and my Mother doesn't have a loving bone in her body. Donna's parents would take the twins out of Charming and away from the only family they've ever known. I can't let that happen. Your Son, Jax, and mine are SAMCRO. We both know there's no other option for them. It's in their blood."

"Ope, Lexi and I would be honored. Hopefully it's not something we ever have to worry about but we will raise Kenny and Ellie if anything ever happens. Let me ask you something, man. Why was Donna never inked with your crow? I know you married her after she got pregnant but why didn't you give her your crow?" I replied, genuinely curious.

"Donna was never gonna be part of the life. We fought about it constantly and that was before prison. She talked about divorce all the time. We were waiting until after the holidays to file. Don't get me wrong, I loved her because she was the Mother to my kids and an amazing one at that. But Jax, I can count on one hand the number of times she and I had sex since we were married. We were roommates, maybe even friends at times, but we weren't in love the way either of us thought we would be when we got married. And from day one she had never been a fan of or approved of my SAMCRO life." he told me.

"You know who doesn't seem to have any issues with the life and loves your kids? Sophie." I replied, knowing I might be overstepping but I thought Ope needed to hear it was okay. "We've seen the looks between the two of you. I've seen the way you look at her Ope when she's not looking. I'm not saying ink her with your crow or marry her but take her to dinner. Dip your feet back into the pond. No one will judge you for it. We just want you to be happy."

"Take her to dinner? That's classic coming from you. Let me ask you, Jax. Have you ever taken Lexi on an actual date?" he replied with a laugh. Thinking about it I realized I never had and was now worried about Lexi's vacation for an entirely different reason.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

At 8:45pm there was a knock on the door to my suite. I opened it to see Sophie on the other side looking insanely hot. "If I was a guy I would be all over you." I told my best friend as I looked at her. Dressed in a strapless gold sparkly mini dress, with a pair of gold and silver strappy Manolo Blahnik stilettos and a gold clutch, Sophie was nothing short of hot. Her wavy black hair had been straightened, leaving it long and shiny. Her green eyes sparkled under golden painted lids and her lips were red.

"Me!? Holy shit Lex! Jax wouldn't need to get you out of your dress because you can hardly call it that. There's not enough fabric, but you somehow make it look classy and sexy where most would look slutty in it." she said as I spun around.

My short black dress came to just above mid-thigh. The loose fabric dipped into a low v in the front and the jeweled spaghetti straps crisscrossed leaving my back completely exposed with the shimmery black fabric not beginning again until just above my ass. I wore jewel toned peep-toe Louboutin stilettos on my feet and paired it with a black satin clutch that had a sapphire stone set over the snap. My hair, unlike Sophie's, had been left curly and was placed over my left shoulder, in order to not block the full effect of the back of the dress. My eyes had been done with black and silver sparkly makeup and my lips painted a dark red. My jewelry was minimal. I wore a pair of diamond and sapphire chandelier earrings and my right wrist was covered with a think platinum chain-metal style diamond and sapphire bracelet that covered Jax's crow. The one agreement we came to this week was if I thought I was going to be photographed, in order to protect the club, the crow needed to be covered.

"Dinner reservations aren't until 9:30pm. We have time for a glass of champagne. Up here on the balcony or downstairs at one of the bars?" I asked. "Here on the balcony." Soph replied. I walked over to the wet bar and opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. I brought the bottle and two champagne flutes out to the balcony. "Happy New Year." I toasted Sophie, recognizing the look in her eyes. "Not tonight. We're going to have fun tonight. We deserve it. We can talk about that night eight years about sometime tomorrow if we need to." I told her, refilling our glasses.

"You're right. Now let's go eat and then head out to the party by the pools the Director of VIP Services told us about when we checked in." my best friend replied. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes and I knew it was unavoidable not to think back to that night. But like I told her, it was time to put it behind us.

After an amazing dinner of filet and Bahamian lobster tail at Seafire Steakhouse, Sophie and I were escorted out to the pool area. We gave our names and walked the red carpet. We had done it at various times over the years, especially when I had been dating... "Uh-oh." I heard Soph whisper cutting into my thoughts. "What?" I asked with a smile still on my face. We had just made it to the end of the carpet when she pulled me to the side. "Don't turn around but Ryan's making his way down the carpet now." she told me. I couldn't help but spin around and look. "Whose party is this Soph?" I asked wondering if I could make a quick exit.

"It's my party. Wasn't expecting to see the two of you on New Year's Eve at the Atlantis. Lexi, you look stunning as always." Trevor Daniels told me. "Trevor! Happy New Year!" I said graciously as I received a kiss on the cheek. "I didn't realize this was your party. The Director..." I started to explain. "Yeah I know. Ryan landed at the airport just before the two of you and saw you getting off your plane. He texted me and I arranged for the invite to be extended to you and Sophie." He replied before turning to Sophie.

"Happy New Year, gorgeous." he said, picking her up and spinning her around. "You're only supposed to be spinning when you make those crazy catches Mr. Pro-Bowl Wide Receiver." Soph said, laughing as he put her back on the ground. We had always loved Trevor. We had known him since high school and had been two of his biggest fans at 'Bama where he played and Sophie and I cheered. He was the one, freshman year, who had introduced me to the Alabama Quarterback, now the QB for Miami, my ex-boyfriend and almost fiancé, Ryan Matthews.

"Come on! The three musketeers need a picture together." he said pulling us back on the red carpet. God, I need a drink I thought to myself as Soph and I stood on either side of Trevor. "Ryan! Get in here man!" Trevor called out. That's when the photographers went crazy. After the four of us posed for photos together, they began demanding a photo of Ryan and me.

I tried to step away but Ryan stopped me. "One photo Lex. You look amazing and it's one I'll want to keep." he said tossing his phone to Trevor.

Sophie and I moved away as quickly as possible and tried to get lost in a crowd full of athletes, movie stars and singers. "Holy shit! This is insane!" she said as we finally made it to the bar. "A bottle of Veuve Clicquot has already been delivered to Mr. Daniels' table for you and Ms. Buchanan." the bartender informed me. We turned and looked. Sure enough, a seating vignette was placed front and center by one of the pools overlooking the beach where the fireworks would be shot off from at midnight. Standing there was Trevor, Ryan and another one of their teammates, Shawn Duffy, along with his fiancé, Kayla. Sophie and I groaned in unison when we saw Kayla. She was one of our former sorority sisters and a sister we couldn't stand.

"Two...no make it four shots of Jameson and two glasses of Veuve." Sophie instructed the bartender. I just looked at her with a smirk. "What? We're going to need all the alcohol we can get into our system before we get over there and have to deal with mean-girl Kayla." she replied as we each downed two shots.

"How's your little store doing, Lexi? Hopefully well enough to make ends meet." Kayla said, after we sat down, as she held up her left hand, pretending to adjust the giant pink diamond on her finger.

I opened my mouth but before I could respond another voice replied, "You mean their three stores, full service salon and café? Oh, and you can't forget about the two upscale restaurants, two inns, along with the additional store, salon and café that all will be opening within the next year. Remind me again what it is that you do Kayla, besides post Instagram photos all day of wedding dresses and that ugly ass ring." Ryan replied. "Lexi and Sophie are making quite a name for themselves." he continued, smirking as Kayla stomped off moments later.

"Sorry, man." he said to Shawn. "No worries. I broke up with her yesterday. Called off the wedding. Told her we could keep it quiet until we get back to Miami on Wednesday." Shawn replied before turning to Soph and I, who could barely keep the giant grins off our faces. "Consider it a Christmas gift. You no longer have to go to her wedding. I see your smiles. Should have listened to you both freshman year of college." he told us.

"I'm going to sneak away for just a minute and facetime Jax. I'll be right back." I whispered to Soph before grabbing my phone and heading to a quiet spot on the edge of the beach.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I heard the ring on Lexi's spare iPad and knew she was facetiming me. I picked it up and when she came on the screen I realized how happy she looked. She was happier and more relaxed than I had seen her in months.

"Just want to wish you a Happy New Year. It's 11:45pm here so I know things will start getting crazy in a few. How's Abel? Can I see him?" she asked. I adjusted the iPad so she could see Opie feeding Abel his bottle. "Oh! How cute! Doing a good job there, Uncle Ope." she said giggling.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, grinning at her. "A little." she replied before looking away from the camera as I heard someone call her name. A guy's voice was calling her name. "Who's that?" I asked, trying not to sound jealous. "We ran into some old friends from college. No idea they were here until we all ended up at the same party." she replied before looking away again. "Give me a minute, Ryan. I'll be right there. Oh, thanks." she said reaching for something.

I watched her take a sipe of champagne before she smiled at me. "Have a Happy New Year, Jax. Kiss Abel for me and tell him I love him and miss him." she said before ending the call.

"Dinner, Brother. I'm telling you that you're gonna have to take her someplace nice. Someplace that doesn't allow kuttes and baggy jeans. You're going to have to romance your Old Lady if you want her back." Opie told me as he handed Abel to me and told me his diaper needed changing. Yes, things have definitely changed in a year I thought as I headed towards the nursery.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I woke up early on January 1st. It was only 6:00am. New day, new year, new me I promised myself as I threw on a pair of shorts and a sports bra on under a tank. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and put my sneakers on before putting my earbuds in and going down to the beach for a run. The beach was deserted and the sky was a mixture of pinks and blues as the sun began to rise over the Caribbean.

I made it 2 ½ miles before turning back the way I came. I was about a ½ mile from where I started when I spotted a familiar figure running in my direction.

"Good morning. Happy New Year, Lexi. Some things never change, huh?" Ryan said, grinning at me. "Guess not." I replied. "Surprised to see you up so early. Figured you would have kept the party going all night." I told him, remembering the days when Ryan would party till 4:00am and I'd still be awake and pissed off when he got home.

"Yeah, those days are definitely behind me. Look, I need to get my run in. Will you meet me for breakfast? Let's say the poolside café at 8:30am. Please, Lex. There's things I need to say." he replied.

New year...new me...a me who forgives I thought to myself. "Yeah, I'll see you there." I replied before continuing my run.

At 8:15am I was ready to go. I planned on heading to the beach as soon as breakfast was over. I made sure I had sunblock, my phone, iPad, room key, wallet and a light lip gloss in my small beach bag before heading out the door.

I was dressed in a black and light purple bikini with a long black lace cover-up over it. The front of the cover-up stayed open and on my feet were a pair of black sandals. My curly hair was tied in a knot at the base of my neck and on my head was a tan and black Tommy Bahama fedora-style hat. I texted Sophie as I reached the lobby and slipped on a pair of oversized dark sunglasses before walking outside.

Ryan rose from his seat when I was escorted to his table. He held out my chair and as I sat down a waiter arrived with two Bloody Mary's, a Diet Coke for me and a glass of orange juice for Ryan.

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I know all about your habits and traditions. We were together for over five years, Lexi. Which was one of the reasons I was so surprised to see you and Sophie here." He paused while the waiter came to take our order.

"I was so sorry to hear about Robert. He was a great man. I always liked and respected him." he said taking my hand. "Thank you. I saw the arrangement you sent to the funeral home. He liked you too. Hell, he thought of you like a son until..." I stopped, pulling my hand back and taking a sip of my Bloody Mary. Spicy, just the way I like it. How well he knows me, I thought as I looked at the twenty-seven-year-old man most of Florida treated like a God.

"Until I fucked it up and did something so stupid that I still hate myself for fifteen months later. You were the love of my life, Lexi. I knew it as soon as Trevor introduced us when you were a freshman and I was a junior. I didn't deserve you then and I sure as hell didn't deserve you after I got drafted. I was selfish. I would like another chance, Lexi. As your friend to start with and then hopefully as more. Rumor has it the Chargers are going to be looking for a Quarterback next year. Even if Miami makes it to the Super Bowl, and we win, I'd request a trade to the West Coast if you would be willing to give us another chance." he said. I was shocked. I had never expected this in a million years.

"Ryan, I'm flattered. Honestly, and thank you for what you said. But I need to be honest with you. I'm with someone. It's a bit complicated and unconventional but I'm committed to him. I adopted his Son. I am now the Mother of a three-month-old, if you can believe that. I can offer you friendship, Ry, but it can't go beyond that." I replied softly.

"Friends it is then. Now what do you say you and Soph come hang out with Trevor and me in the cabana today? Don't worry, Kayla won't be there." he said with a grin.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"This has been an interesting turn of events." I told Lexi as we walked on the beach after lunch. "Yeah, it is. He seems like he's really changed, Soph. Maybe if I didn't have Jax and Abel I would consider it but that's not a possibility now." she replied.

"You think he's changed because he apologized for a so-called past indiscretion? He was an asshole who treated you like shit. He was right about not deserving you. Don't go down that road, Lexi. He may appear to be an angel on the outside but remember, it's the devil within that you can't trust." I told her. "I know, Soph." she replied.

"What do you say we ditch them for the rest of the day? Let's take the water ferry over to Nassau and go to the Straw Market. We can shop for souvenirs to bring home and then go get drunk at Senor Frogs." I suggested. We laughed and did just that.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (3 DAYS LATER)**

"God it feels good to be home." I said to Soph as we approached the Welcome To Charming sign on Thursday morning. "I hope Jax will drive to San Diego this afternoon. I'm ready to nap the entire way there." I continued on. I glanced in the rearview mirror and Sophie turned around when we hear the roar of Harley's behind us as we passed the sign.

"Welcoming Committee?" Sophie asked as we recognized Happy, Tig, Kozik and Quinn. "Obviously not very welcoming." I replied as Happy pulled up next to me and I rolled down my window.

"Follow me and Kozik to the clubhouse. Quinn and Tig will follow. If anything happens do not stop...you need to keep going until you reach TM." he ordered before he and Kozik sped up, pulling in front of me.

"Do you think they know?" Soph asked worriedly. "No, Jax and Opie burned the photos." I replied trying to silently convince myself.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"I don't want to do this Clay. I can't do it to her." I argued for what felt like the fiftieth time this morning. "We don't have a choice Jax. Trust me, I'm not thrilled about it either but Charming is obviously not safe for her anymore. Think about what could have happened...what most likely would have happened if she had been home. Kohn might have killed her when he and Wendy broke in. Thankfully, he decided to leave the crankhoe behind when you showed up. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some information out of her." Clay told me.

There was a knock on the Chapel door. "We just got word. They just passed the sign. She'll be here in ten minutes." Opie said, looking unhappy and angry. He and I were the only ones who voted against this at the table.

I walked out of the Chapel and into the main room. I looked at the blonde standing at the bar with a smug smile on her face and knew I didn't have a choice. The thought of her touching me, the thought of fucking her, made me want to puke. But like Clay said...it was for Lexi's protection.

"Let's go." I growled at Ima as I headed towards my dorm. "Make it look real." I heard Clay call out before Ima responded. "Trust me. The SAMCRO Princess won't doubt it for a second."

I sat on the bed as she closed the door. She stepped out of her red dress and stood naked in front of me wearing nothing but a pair of black heels. "Strip now but leave your kutte on. I want to make sure the bitch knows it's her Old Man, SAMCRO's VP, who is fucking me." she ordered, pissing me off even more. I took my clothes off and put my kutte back on.

I tried to pretend it was Lexi in front of me, on her knees, sucking my cock. I felt myself get hard and told her to put a condom on it. Not wanting to look at her face I pushed Ima onto all fours and fucked her doggy-style. I hated myself more and more as I angrily pounded into her. As I was about to cum I heard Lexi calling my name and then the door opened.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (9 MONTHS LATER)**

I sat, by myself down in my mancave, watching the pregame festivities for the L.A Chargers NFL Home Opener on my giant flatscreen. The NFL world had been rocked six months earlier, just weeks before the NFL Draft, when Super Bowl Champion and MVP, the QB from Miami, Ryan Matthews, exercised the trade clause in his contract. He requested a trade to LA.

I knew she would be at the game with Abel. It was her month with him. We had been alternating months since it happened. I watched as the TV cameras panned over the owner's box. That was the first time I had seen her in months. Since the day I watched from a distance when she and Ryan appeared at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Inn at Un-Southern Charming three months ago.

Sophie had become the go-between when it came to all things Abel. Lexi had cut all of us out of her life except for Sophie and the twins. She refused to take Opie's calls or answer his text messages. She no longer spoke to Clay or Gemma either. She held Clay responsible for letting Ima back into the clubhouse and almost punched Gemma when my Mother told her it was the SAMCRO way and Lexi needed to fall in line. Gemma didn't speak to me or Clay for months after Lexi left. She was barely speaking to Clay now.

I paused the picture when it panned over Lexi and Abel again. I noticed three things right away. My Old Lady looked beautiful. Her red curly hair was held back from her face by the sunglasses sitting on the top of her head. Her face lightly tanned by the Southern California sun. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at Abel, who was in her arms wearing a matching Chargers jersey with Ryan's number on it. The second thing I noticed was her wrist. It was blank. My crow was gone. She had it removed. The third thing I noticed was the massive diamond on her left ring finger and the caption on the bottom of the screen...

 ** _"Lexi Montgomery & Son Watch As Fiancé, Super Bowl MVP And New Chargers QB Ryan Matthews, Takes The Field For The First Time With His New Team."_**

I had lost her for good...


	18. Choices

**JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Jax?" I heard Opie yell. I heard multiple footsteps above. I didn't answer. My prepay sat on the coffee table in front of me submerged in a glass of Jameson. I just want to be alone, I thought to myself. I couldn't stop looking at the screen. "Jesus Christ, it smells down here." I heard Clay say. "Get him into the shower and sober him up. I'll let Gemma know we found him and he's alive." He instructed as two sets of hands dragged me up the stairs.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Clay…look." Tig called my attention towards the TV screen. "Has he been watching this for the past week? Fuck…no wonder why he's in such rough shape." I replied.

"Gem. We found him. It's going to take a bit to sober him up but he's okay. You're going to want to give Neeta a raise though. This place is a fucking disaster. We'll be gone a few days once he's sober enough to ride. We found them Gemma. I'm taking care of shit and then as a family we are going to find a way to bring Lexi-Kate home…where she belongs." I said to my Old Lady before she once again hung up on me. Fuck…

I looked back at the screen and my heart broke all over again. She changed her name back to Montgomery. "Clay…" I looked over at Bobby as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "He's a mess. I don't know if he'll actually be able to make the ride on his bike to Indian Hills."

"Throw him in the van. Have Juice drive and Kozik ride up front. We need to get on the road if we are going to make it before dark. Then we'll take the van and one of Jury's vans to Vegas. Laroy's contact is sitting on the fleabag motel they're hiding out in until we get there." I instructed, glancing one more time at the TV before shutting it off and following my Brother back upstairs.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"They found him." I told Sophie as she played with the twins in the shallow end of her pool. Ellie and Kenny had turned four the last weekend in August. Rumor had it "Auntie Lex" came home for the weekend with presents. From what Opie could get out of the twins it sounded like Lexi and Sophie threw the twins a little birthday party one day and took them to Chuck-E-Cheese the next. It had been a weekend when the guys were searching for Kohn and I was stuck at the cabin with Piney as we watched Tara patch up the club's Irish contact, Cameron Hayes, who had been shot in the ass.

Sophie had become Opie's go-to for child care in the case of an emergency so she had the twins and offered to take Abel as well that weekend. Jax had been more than a little upset when he learned he had missed Lexi by a matter of hours. I learned later when he yelled at Sophie she told him to fuck off and slammed the door in his face. She hadn't spoken to Clay or Jax since January. She only talked to Opie about the kids and those conversations had been limited. Hell she only started talking to me a month ago.

"Did you hear me Sophie?" I asked her as she got the kids out of the pool. I watched her dry them off and told them to go inside to wash their hands because it was almost lunch time. She watched as Kenny and Ellie ran inside before turning to me. Her eyes flashed and that's when I thought I saw it. How did I never notice it before, I wondered as she said "I honestly don't care Gemma. What he did was despicable beyond words. There must have been another way to protect her. She doesn't know the truth and there's no way she'll ever forgive them. Hell I know the truth and there's no way I'll ever forgive them. I'm still having a hard enough time forgiving you."

"Forgiveness is important baby girl, especially when it comes to family. When it comes to forgiving your Father, your Step-Brother and your Step-Mother." I called out as she walked thru the sliders and into her house. She turned and laughed. "Clay's not my Father, Gemma. Jax isn't my Step-Brother and you're not my Step-Mother. We're having homemade mac and cheese for lunch if you want to stay." she replied before walking back inside.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Fuck! Do you need to hit every Goddamn bump in the road, Juice?" I yelled from the back of the van a few hours later. I had gone from drunk off my ass to hungover and was pretty sure I was going to puke if he hit one more bump. "Not anymore. We're here." He replied with a grin.

I got out of the van and saw my Dad's closest friend, besides Piney, walk out of what was formerly the Devil's Tribe Clubhouse and was now the SOA Indian Hills Clubhouse. "Uncle Jury." I said in greeting. "Ya look like hell Jackson. I've heard you've been going thru some major shit lately. I'm here, hell we're all here, to help in whatever way we can." the club's president told me before turning to Clay.

"Clay. Good to see you Brother." he said. "You too Jury. Look time is of the essence here. We need to borrow two of your vans. I would take ours but it's got California plates on it and we need to stay off the grid. I can guarantee you'll get one back but probably not the other. We'll buy it from you." Clay replied.

"Take it. Consider it our club dues to the Mother Charter this month. They're out back. Keys are in them. Need anything else?" Jury asked. "Juice, Bobby and Quinn are gonna hang here until we get make. Make sure they're taken care of while we're gone, if you know what I mean." Clay replied with a grin before turning to the rest of us.

"Kozik you're driving one van with me, Tig and Jax in it. Sack, you're driving the other van with Happy, Chips and Opie. Bobby, if anything goes wrong…" I heard Clay start to say before Bobby interrupted him. "I know the plan. Quinn and I will go get Abel and Lexi. It will be a complete lockdown at TM."

I didn't say a word until we pulled out of the parking lot. "I don't want Lexi and Abel back in Charming if things go wrong. We did all this to get her out of Charming." I reminded him. No one responded, probably because none of us wanted to think what would happen if things went wrong.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I quietly closed Abel's bedroom door in my San Diego condo. He would be a year old in two weeks. Where has the time gone I wondered to myself as I walked into the kitchen. I poured a glass of wine, grabbed my iPad and walked out onto the deck. Watching the sunset from my deck overlooking the San Diego Bay was my favorite time of day. I took a sip of wine, picked up the iPad and facetimed Sophie.

"Hey!" I said when she answered. "Put your earbuds in." she instructed. I did as I was told and sat in shock as she told me SAMCRO had found Kohn and Stahl and were going after them in Vegas. They were scheduled to be in Vegas by 2:00am. I then sat, unable to believe it, when she told me that Gemma had come to the conclusion that basically Sophie and I were sisters. She thought Clay was Sophie's Father. "Soph, no one can know who your parents really are. It's too dangerous for all of us. Especially your Mother." I reminded her. "I know. Here talk to Kenny and Ellie for a minute. They're dying to see their Auntie Lex." she replied.

I talked to the twins and then to Sophie again. After telling her to let me know what happened with Kohn and Stahl I got up and walked back into the kitchen.

"Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you tonight. Great game today! Starting the season off 2 – 0 with a new team is pretty damn impressive." I said when Ryan walked thru the door. I had assumed he would have stayed in LA after the game. "Thanks. I got your text after the game. How's Abel feeling?" he asked. "Better. He went down about forty-five minutes ago. If he's okay tomorrow I'm going to take him to the beach. You should come with us since it's your day off." I replied.

"Yeah. Maybe." He said. Shit…here comes the other shoe...again. Seems to be the story of my life lately. "What's wrong Ryan? I've known you for seven years and can always tell when something's bothering you." I told him.

"My agent got a call today. People Magazine wants to do an article on us. They want to put us on the cover. The Un-Southern Princess and the NFL Prince. They want to talk about our college days, our time apart, how we reconnected, our careers and our family. They want to include Abel in the story and how he fits in. They want pictures of us at home in LA, here in San Diego and in Charming. If we agree they want the exclusive for our wedding. That's big money Lex that we can set aside for Abel and our future kids but…" he trailed off.

"But it would require Jax to sign off on the okay to include Abel and then a very public appearance in Charming. Shit. When do we have to let them know?" I replied. This wasn't what I was expecting at all. "Friday." he said. "Give me a couple of days to think about it?" I asked. "Of course." he responded, kissing me and leading me back out to the deck where we sat, lost in our own thoughts.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Laroy. Didn't expect to see you here." I told the President of the Niners when we pulled up to the motel in Vegas that Kohn and Stahl had been spotted at. "Thought I was due for a trip to Vegas to try my luck at the tables when my guy reached out. Figured this would be an added bonus to my trip." he replied with a grin. "Woman is in there. Room on the third floor at the end. Guy left about twenty minutes ago. I have my guys following him. How do you want to play this?" he asked.

"Can your guys grab Kohn at the same time we take Stahl? If they can we can take them both to the warehouse where our cleaner will be later. Should hopefully be an easy snatch and grab." I replied.

"Look Jax, I'd be happy to have my guys do it but I'm going to need something in return. This guy is a former Fed who has a shitload of Feds looking for him. If anything goes wrong my guys will be going away for a long time. Attempted kidnapping is a major crime. I'm a fan of your Old Lady and want to help but it's business." he said. I looked at Clay.

"Twenty percent off your next order of AK's." Clay told him. "Make it twenty-five off this order and fifteen off the next and we're good to go." he replied.

"Fuck! That's why you came up here. He's gambling with little LK's life." Chibs said angrily. "Make the call. We go on my order." Clay ordered as Tig, Happy and I made our way to the third floor. Opie and Chibs went around the other side to cover the back.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Uh, Clay. You may have a problem." Laroy said to me. "What's that?" I asked. "SAMCRO is with Kohn. The guy who took off a couple years back after your VP's buddy ended up in Stockton." he replied.

"Fucking Kyle Hobart. He's going to be my gift to Opie. Have them pick him up and I'll make it thirty percent off your next order." I told him, pulling out a cigar and lighting it.

"They're good to go when you are." Laroy said. I gave Jax the thumbs up and watched the countdown on his fingers. When he reached one, I said "Now" to Laroy, who in turn gave the go to his guys.

Within minutes we had Stahl in the back of the van and Laroy's guys were on their way to the warehouse off Industrial with Kohn and Hobart.

 **OPIE'S P.O.V.**

"What the fuck?" I asked when I walked into the warehouse and saw Kyle Hobart tied to a chair. "Apparently he's been hanging out with his buddy Kohn. Laroy's guys found them together. And guess what's still on his back?" Clay replied.

"Untie him. Get him up." I growled as I took my rings off. Asshole was still sporting the Reaper. My Brothers cheered as they watched me beat the shit out of Kyle. "My turn." Happy said pulling out his bag of tricks. "No. "We don't kill him. He chooses though. The knife or the fire. Either way the Reaper comes off him tonight." I said to Clay.

"You don't ever come back to Charming and I never hear that the word SAMCRO came out of your mouth otherwise you will die. Your choice, knife or fire." Clay said to Hobart as Tig and Happy picked him up off the ground. "Fire." he replied.

I watched Clay nod at Happy before thanking Laroy and his guys. I turned to see Hobart strung up by his hands and Chibs pouring a bottle of vodka down his throat. "He did it to you Ope. Took you away from your family for two years." Clay said handing me the blowtorch. "I'd rather be dead than be him." I replied as I watched the flame ignite and began blacking out Kyle's tattoo.

We left him on the ground when were done. "Untie him Jax." I said looking at Kohn. I saw the whites of his eyes and knew he was scared. At that moment he realized he was going to die. His eyes darted side to side looking for a way out. "Hold him." I told Happy. I held up a knife. "See this? Cattle guys call this an Elsie maker. It's used to cut the balls off bulls. Strip him." I said, glancing at Tig. Kohn screamed, begging me not to touch him. "This is for hurting and stalking Lexi." I used the knife and cut off his balls. "Let him bleed out." Happy told me. "No. That was for Lexi." I said as we watched him roll around on the ground screaming. "This is for Donna. Payback for killing the Mother of my children." I told him before I put my gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger.

"It's done. Finish her and let's get the fuck out of here. I want to go home and see my kids." I told Jax, grabbing my kutte and walking outside. The smell of burnt skin was pungent in my nose.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Jax…Clay, please. Come on SAMCRO doesn't kill women." Stahl pleaded, her eyes wide with fear. "Special exceptions can be made. Just like we did with Wendy, we took a vote at the table regarding you. You brought Kohn straight to Lexi and as a result Donna was killed. Lexi will never be safe as long as you're alive. The vote was unanimous. You will meet Mr. Mayhem." I replied.

"Jax, no…please. I have infor…" she started to say, only to be interrupted by Clay. "Finish it VP and let's bring my Daughter, your Old Lady, home."

I looked at Stahl, tied to the chair and shot her in the head. I didn't look back as I headed for the door.

"Happy, Tig and Chibs are waiting with the other van for Bachman. They'll get back to Indian Hills when it's done. Sack you're driving." Clay said as Opie, Kozik, Half-Sack and I stood outside the van.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"I can't believe you're actually here." I said to Lexi as we sat in her office at Un-Southern Charming. The twins and Abel here being entertained by Cherry in the employee lounge.

"I thought it would be best if I talked to Jax in person about the People Magazine article. Still no word from anyone?" she asked.

"Nope. I've been in the dark since Sunday. So has Cherry." I responded.

"Well let's go open the doors. I miss it here, Soph. I'll run over in a bit and check on the Inn before stopping by the Grille. I'm glad Laura is working out as the General Manager over all of Un-Southern Charming. We need you to hire someone to run the café so we have coverage when we're ready to open in San Diego next month. You'll just need to supervise and train the F&B staff. Then you can come back here until we find our next location." Lexi said as we walked down the stairs and saw the face of an unhappy Gemma at the door.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"You're back. I got a call from Unser saying he saw your car outside of the building. When did you get into town, Lexi? Where's my Grandson?" I asked, hating the sound of my voice. I sounded angry and I was, but not with her. I was angry with Clay and Jax…and with myself.

"This was a mistake. I can't do this." she said to Sophie before running back up the stairs. Before a word could be said or I could go up after Lexi the roar of Harley's could be heard coming down the street.

I watched as Sophie sighed, rolled her eyes and walked outside to the sidewalk. I looked up the staircase one more time before deciding to follow Sophie outside.

"Opie can go in and see his kids. Anyone else from SAMCRO sets one foot on my property I'll call Hale and have you arrested for trespassing." she said, glaring at Jax and Clay.

"I'm already here Sophie. Lexi texted me asking for a police escort out of town." Captain America replied, leaning against Lexi's Range Rover. "Opie go see your kids. The rest of you need to move along. You too Gemma." the Deputy Chief replied. Unser decided to cancel his retirement plans after a conversation with Clay and Hale hated the club more than ever.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I took a deep breath and walked outside. "David, I'm sorry. I overreacted. I need a word with Jax." I said, unable to look at him. The memories of the last time I saw him came rushing back…

 **FLASHBACK**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (9 MONTHS EARLIER)**

The sound I made when I opened the door to Jax's dorm must have sounded like a wounded animal. Ima looked at me and grinned. Jax got up, not saying a word, and walked into the bathroom closing the door behind him. "God he was just as good here as he was in your bed last night. Nice house by the way." she said as she rolled over onto her back and kicked her cheap ass black heels off.

"You're dead." I said walking towards her. I picked her dress up off the floor and threw it at her. "Put it on." I said. Then she laughed and I lost it. I moved so quick she didn't have time to react. I grabbed the dress with one hand and with the other hand grabbed Ima by her hair, pulling her out of bed. She screamed in pain as I dragged her down the hall thru the main room and out onto the lot. I could hear Sophie yelling at my Dad and Opie as they followed me outside with the others. "Put it on." I ordered her again, tossing the dress at her. I was so furious I didn't feel the tears streaming down my face. She slipped her skank-ass body into the dress and then I attacked. By the time I was done I would later learn not only did I break her nose for the third time, but I fractured her jaw and shattered her left cheekbone. It was only when she was unconscious that Chibs pulled me off her.

"Get off me!" I screamed. "How could you let her come here?" I yelled at my Father. "Why didn't you stop him?" I sobbed, hitting Opie in his chest. Then Jax and Gemma walked outside.

"You've been with us long enough Lexi to know it's the SAMCRO way. You're the one who left your Old Man. He has needs. You need to fall in line and deal with it." she told me. Gemma, the woman I loved like a Mother, just put the final knife through my heart. Little did I know those were pretty much the same words she said to my Mother all those years ago.

I felt my hand form a fist. "She's not worth it Lexi. None of them are. Let's go." Sophie said. She practically carried me across the lot. She helped me into the passenger seat and walked over to Opie who was holding my bag. She snatched it over his hands before walking over to Jax.

"You do not go home. You do not call her. You do not text her. You do not come to Un-Southern, you fucking asshole. How could you do this after everything?" she yelled at him.

She walked over to where Ima was being helped up by Chibs and Tig. She punched Ima in the face, knocking her down again. Soph looked at her, spit on her and threatened to kill her before walking back to the car.

 **PRESENT DAY**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I watched as Jax and Opie moved forward at the same time. "Lex, can I talk to you before the two of you talk? Please." Opie said. "I don't think we have anything to talk about Opie. Your kids are upstairs with Cherry." I replied.

I turned and walked up to my office. I sat at my desk and waited for Jax. He came in and closed the door behind him.

"Lexi…" he started. "No Jax. You don't get to talk. I'm only here as a courtesy to let you know People Magazine is going to be doing an interview with Ryan and I. As my Son, they obviously want to include Abel in it. I need you to sign off on the legal document giving me the okay." I said, sliding the one page document across the desk to him.

"Also, September 30th is his birthday. I'll be in town with him. I'd like to spend the first half of the day with him. I'll have Sophie drop him off at Gemma's before 2:00pm." I told him.

"Is this really what you want Lexi? How you want to live? How you want to raise Abel?" he asked me. "No it's not but you've given me no choice Jax." I replied, getting up and walking out of the office, leaving him no choice either.


	19. Sins Of The Father

**LEXI'S P.O.V.**

What am I doing, I asked myself for the millionth time tonight as I drove towards Sophie's. The People Magazine interview was scheduled to take place the next day and I was trying to figure out a way to graciously back out of it. I had left Abel with Ryan at the Inn and told him I'd be back in an hour or two. Soph had called, asking me to come help her with something, so I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. I hoped it was nothing too serious but figured it would get me out of the interview prep Ryan wanted to do. Really...like I need to be trained on how to say the right things...

The plan was to do the interview tomorrow morning and then Ryan would leave afterwards and head to Oakland, where his team was playing on Monday night. I would spend all day tomorrow and Sunday morning with Abel, celebrating his birthday with Sophie and Tommy, before Soph took him to Gemma's. I would then head to Okland and go to Ryan's game on Monday.

I wasn't worried about driving thru SAMCRO's Corner because it was Friday night which meant Church and then the after party so the neighborhood was pretty deserted. I pulled into the driveway and parked behind Sophie's SUV. I opened the front door and was meant by silence, which was surprising, because she said she had the twins and it was an emergency. "Soph?" I called out. "Out back." she replied. I walked thru the living room and out onto the back patio.

"What the fuck?" I whispered when I saw Sophie tied to a chair. There were two men standing, with guns drawn, while the third sat in a chair. "Where are my niece and nephew?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"I assume you are referring to Kenny and Ellie Winston. They're in the bedroom watching TV. Completely safe for the moment. It's not them that I'm after. I've been waiting for you, Alexis. Have a seat." the dark-haired man with the Irish brogue told me.

"I'm good standing." I said. I recognized him from the photos I had given Jax and realized if this guy is here from Ireland that could only mean one thing. Sophie's true identity had been discovered.

"I'd like to go check on the twins if you don't mind. To see for myself that they're okay." I said. He looked at one of his men and nodded. As I was lead down the hallway by my elbow I tried to slide my cell phone out of my back pocket. I couldn't do it quick enough.

The door to Sophie's master bedroom was opened and as I entered Kenny and Ellie ran over to me. "Auntie Lex!" they cried, obviously scared and confused. I dropped to my news and whispered the same thing to the both of them.

"You've seen them. Let's go back outside." the guy with the gun said. "I'll be back in a bit. You go back on Auntie Soph's bed and watch TV." I told them.

I was lead back outside and shoved into a chair. "You have guns. Why is she tied to a chair and why is her forehead bleeding?" I asked looking at my best friend. "She had to be restrained because she attempted to stab my friend here with a carving fork. She's feisty like her Mother and has quick reflexes like her Father did. Oh, don't look surprised Alexis. The Irish Kings have known from some time now who Sophie really is. However, they didn't see reason to use her until it was absolutely necessary. It has become necessary. You're just an added bonus. It's time to pay for the sins of your Father. Imagine the surprise, boys, when we return home with not one SAMCRO Princess, but two SAMCRO Princesses." he replied.

Oh, fuck. This is not good. Sophie and I looked at each other in fear. "I apologize. In all of my excitement I forgot to introduce myself." he said. "Don't bother. I know who you are. James O'Phelan. Jimmy O to those who know you. Face of the True IRA and Consigliere for The Kings. Jax and Opie will kill you if my Father and Chibs don't get to you first. Seems like Chibs owes you not only for his scars but for keeping Fiona and Kerrianne from him. You're as good as dead." I said laughing. Before he could stop himself, he was out of his chair and backhanding me across the face. I felt my lip start to bleed and swell almost immediately.

"Let's go. We need to get going if we're going to make it to the port. We've got eyes on the water. Should be a lovely night for a boat ride. Leave the kids where they are. They won't be found until tomorrow. If Opie sticks to his normal schedule he won't be here until 3:00pm to pick them up. We'll be on the flight from Vancouver back to Ireland by then." Jimmy said as Sophie and I were dragged from the house and into a waiting SUV.

"You okay?" Soph whispered. "For the moment. Soph, this isn't good. If they know your identity then they know our Mothers are sisters. Whatever they're using us for it's because the club pissed them off. The priest must have given his blessing otherwise Jimmy O wouldn't be here. If Kellan Ashby signed off on this then the two of us are as good as dead. Guess I don't have to worry about finding a way to back out of the People Magazine interview now." I replied sarcastically.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was in the middle of a game of pool with Opie when I watched Tom Montgomery walk thru the main room of the clubhouse. He went straight over to where Clay and Gemma were with Luann. Words were exchanged and then Tom followed Clay into the Chapel, closing the door behind him.

"Wonder what that's about." Opie said, taking a swig of his beer. "No idea. Can't be good news if the lawyer is showing up on a Friday night. Let's go find out." I replied.

Before we could make it three steps the door flung open and Clay walked out. I watched as he walked over to Half-Sack and Cherry. Moments later Cherry ran out the door. Sack shut the music off and Clay yelled at the top of his lungs. "Party's over! Everyone get the fuck out. SAMCRO and Gemma in the Chapel, NOW!" he ordered.

Tom walked out of the Chapel and headed outside, refusing to meet my eyes. We took our seats and before the door closed I saw Tom walk back into the main room, followed by Ryan Matthews who was carrying Abel, and Cherry who held the twins by their hands.

"Clay?" I asked, dread setting in when I didn't see Lexi or Sophie. He sighed and nodded at Tom. He said something to Ryan, who in turn kissed my son on the top of his head and handed him to Cherry. I watched in disbelief as they walked into the Chapel, closing the doors behind them.

"You all know Tom. With him is Ryan Matthews, Lexi's fiancé. She and Ryan were staying at the Inn with Abel when Lexi got a call from Sophie. She said it was an emergency. That was four hours ago. Lexi didn't answer Ryan's calls or text messages so he took Abel and went to Sophie's. The twins were in the bedroom, completely unharmed but frightened. No sign of Lexi or Sophie. But there was blood in the kitchen and on the patio. The twins said three men with funny voices took Lexi and Sophie." Clay told us.

Opie pushed back from his seat and ran out to the main room. Presumably to see for himself that his twins were okay.

I looked at Ryan. He stared back at me. "Abel looks a lot like you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances that we're finally meeting." he said to me before turning to Clay. "Please find her. Tell me what I can do to help." he said. "I'll have Tom contact you. For now, not a word to anyone. Postpone the interview. Say she's sick. Go about your normal schedule." Clay replied. Minutes later Ryan followed Tom out of the Chapel.

"Clay! Jax! You gotta hear this!" Opie yelled. We headed out to the main room where Ope was crouched down in front of Kenny and Ellie, who were seated on the couch. I looked at my Mother. Gemma was pale and visibly upset.

"Go ahead Kenny. Tell them what you told me. It's okay, son. It's going to help us find Lexi and Sophie." Opie gently instructed his young son. "Auntie Lex came into the room. She hugged me. She told me to say it's Jimmy. I went looking for her 'cause Ellie was cryin' and wouldn't stop. I wanted Auntie Lex to help. I saw the man hit Auntie Lex. Then him took her and Auntie Soph for a boat ride to the island." he told us.

"He must mean Jimmy O. Fuck. He's taking the girls to Ireland." I heard Chibs say.

"I could see him grabbing Lexi but why Sophie? What does she have to do with any of this?" I asked to no one in particular.

"He grabbed her because Sophie is the daughter of Maureen Ashby and John Teller." Tom Montgomery said from behind me. Before I could turn around I felt my Mother's hand grip my arm. I looked over at just in time to see her faint.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"We're here. Get up." I was told. The boat ride had been cold and bumpy. I was tired and wanted warm clothes. We were quickly escorted to another SUV and driven to a private airfield just outside of Vancouver where a private jet waited. Sophie and I both fell asleep within minutes of boarding the plane.

I woke up almost eight hours later and looked out the window. I grabbed my bag and headed towards the bathroom near the back of the plane. I used a makeup wipe to remove my makeup before washing my face and reapplying my makeup. I figured we hand another three hours to go before we landed. I looked down at my engagement ring. I slipped it off and put it in the zipper compartment of my oversized purse. Taking a deep breath, I turned and walked back out into the cabin.

I sat down across from Jimmy O. I had taken him by surprise. I saw it flash across his face briefly. He looked at my hand which were placed on the table between us. "Lose your ring and get a tattoo while you were in the bathroom?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I assume we're heading to Belfast. Just in case we pass anyone who is loyal to the SONS I want to make sure they know you have Jax Teller's Old Lady...Clay Morrow's daughter...SAMCRO Royalty...the daughter of a First Nine. But wait, you also have my cousin who is also the daughter of a First Nine. Do you really think my Aunt, my Mother's twin, is going to let you hurt her daughter? Hurt John Teller's child? She may be McGee's Old Lady now, but I know for a fact she has always loved JT. If she didn't she never would have changed Soph's name and sent her to the States. I can guarantee by now, Jimmy, that SAMCRO not only knows Sophie's true identity but also knows you kidnapped us. You're as good as dead. I just can't wait to see who is going to pull the trigger...my Dad, my Old Man, the Son who is in love with Sophie or Chibs. The priest won't be able to save you and Jax is smart. He'll make a deal with The Kings, cutting out the middle man...which is you." I told him with a smile.

I was bluffing to an extent. I was scared shitless but didn't want it to show. I was also going to beat Maureen and McGee for this. No one had known about Sophie for twenty-four years. Something must have gone down in order for this to happen now. The only question was what, I thought to myself as I took my seat next to Soph.

"I thought you had the tattoo lasered off." she said looking at Jax's crow on my wrist. "Not quite. I've been using a Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer to cover the crow. I wasn't ready to have it removed but decided it will need to be gone by the time I marry Ryan." I replied.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

When I woke up I was laying on the couch in the clubhouse. I heard the sound of angry hushed whispers. I listened but couldn't make out the words. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and that's when Clay noticed I was conscious again.

"You okay, baby?" he asked. "Are any of us okay right now?" I snapped back. "I'll take that as a yes." he replied, glancing at Jax and shaking his head. "Oh, for fucks sake! Now what?" I demanded to know. "We need you to make a call Gem. Mother to Mother. Find out what's going on. Find out if the girls are in Belfast." Clay replied. "And who is it exactly that I'm supposed to be calling?" I replied, already knowing the answer. "Maureen Ashby." Clay said, not meeting my eyes.

"Do we even know for sure that Sophie is her daughter?" I asked, knowing deep down it was true. It was Lori's eyes, Maureen's eyes, that Sophie had. That along with JT's black hair and temper.

"Yeah. Tom showed us the paperwork. Turns out Lori was actually Maureen Ashby's twin sister. We don't have all the details but enough to piece things together." Clay replied as he handed me a slip of paper with the number on it for Ashby Provisions in Belfast.

"Ashby Provisions." a female voice answered. "Is Maureen Ashby there?" I asked. "No, she's not. Can I take a message?" the reply came across the phone line. "I need to talk to her. It's important. Does she have a cell phone number you can give me?" I asked, hoping I was stressing the urgency of my call. "I don't give out numbers to strangers. You'll have to call back around tomorrow or the next day." the voice rudely replied. "Wait! Please. Give her a message. Tell her a friend from Charming called. I need to talk to her Mother to Mother. Ask her to call me at this number." I replied, leaving my phone number.

I turned and looked at Clay. "Now what?" I asked. "Now we wait." he replied.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Chibs? Can you try reaching out to Fiona? See if she knows anything." I asked. I knew it was bringing up a lot of hard memories for him. Jimmy O had basically run Chibs out of Ireland and the IRA. He ended up marrying Chibs's ex-wife and raising Kerrianne, his daughter.

"We're going to have to find a way to Ireland...off the grid. Any suggestions?" I asked.

"Uh, Jax? Can I have a word with you and Clay in private?" Tom asked. Jesus Christ, now what, I wondered to myself. We walked into the Chapel and Clay closed the door behind us.

"I'm sure, if we ask him, Ryan will pay to charter a jet. I know it's somewhat awkward but possibly the only choice you have to get over to Ireland." Tom said. I looked at Clay. He shrugged and said for Tom to make the call. We were planning on leaving as soon as we heard back from Maureen Ashby and McGee, the President of SAMBEL.

We listened to the call. It was painful. Ryan was rightfully upset. He obviously cared about Lexi. He said he would call us back as soon as he booked the jet. It took all of twenty minutes for that to happen. Before ending the call, he asked to speak to me off speakerphone.

"Bring her back to me Jax. I'm holding you and your fucking club responsible for this. If she is hurt by whoever took her, by you or a member of your club or by anyone else involved I will go public and get the police involved. I'm not fucking around. I'm not willing to risk the life of the woman I love." he said before ending the call.

Can't really blame him. We are responsible for this. All because we attempted to cut ties with the Irish and get out of the gun business. FUCK!

"Jax! You gotta get out here now!" Juice yelled. I walked out to the main room and saw Opie and Clay looking over Chibs's shoulder. "Fiona had company arrive at her house thirty minutes ago. She snapped a couple of pics without Jimmy noticing. The girls are there. But Jackie-boy you have to see this." Chibs said with a smile.

He turned the phone and I saw the picture of Lexi who had her wrist facing the camera. There it was...my crow on her wrist. "How?" I asked. No one had an answer.

"He's not going to harm them. Not unless he gets the okay from the priest and The Kings." Chibs said. "You mean not more than he already has. My daughter has a split lip and a bruise. And Jesus, look at Sophie's forehead." Clay replied.

Just then my Mother's cell phone rang. "It's a Belfast number." she said looking at us. God this must be rough for her for so many reasons. She answered the call on speaker and listened...

"Gemma? It's Maureen Ashby. I got your message. Obviously, you know who I am." the woman's voice with the soft Irish lilt said when my Mother answered the phone. "Yeah. I know who you are. I have for some time now. Look, Maureen I need to know if you have seen two American girls over in Belfast the twenty-four hours. They'd be with Jimmy O or the priest." Gemma replied, getting to business. "Yes. They're in Belfast. I don't know where they are staying though." Maureen replied. "That's all I needed to know." Gemma said before ending the call.

"Okay. Jax, Opie, Happy, Chibs, Tig and Kozik...grab whatever you need. We leave in ten minutes. Piney, Juice, Quinn, Sack, Rat, Miles and Phil you keep things running like normal around here. Mechanics in the garage only. Clubhouse is off limits to everyone. Keep the hang-arounds, sweetbutts and croweaters off TM property until we get back." I heard Clay order as I headed to my dorm to pack a bag.

"Jackson..." my Mom said from behind me. "I'm coming with you. Cherry is going to watch the three kids here." she said.

"Mom, you don't have to do that. Stay here. We'll bring them back." I said as we walked back towards the main room.

"I need to. It's about time I face the ghosts of the past. I now have two step-daughters. You have a half-sister. This affects all of us more than we ever thought possible." she replied.

I looked at Clay. He nodded. I walked over to Cherry and Half-Sack. "He'll be fine. All three of them will. I promise." Sack told me. I took Abel from Cherry. "I'm going to bring Mommy home little man. Be good for Cherry." I told him, kissing him and holding him close before handing him back to Cherry.

I looked at Opie who was telling the twins we were going to bring Auntie Lex and Auntie Soph home. I crouched down in front of Kenny. "You did really good today buddy. I'm proud of you. Can you do me a favor?" I asked. His brown eyes looked up at me, way too serious for a four-year-old and nodded. "Can you take care of your sister and look after Abel while we're gone? That will make your Auntie Lex and Auntie Soph so happy. Can you do that for me?" I asked. "Yes, VP." he responded in a clear loud voice.

I looked at Ope. "Told ya. It's in their blood. The next generation of SAMCRO." he said as we walked out the door into the darkness of the night.

* * *

 **A/N: So, obviously I didn't stick to the exact story. I wanted to bring some of Ireland into this story but didn't want Abel to be the one kidnapped. Plus, I wanted to start to expand a little on Sophie and how she fits into the SAMCRO world. The next chapter is written and will be posted hopefully later today. I hope you enjoy what you just read and the next one to come.**


	20. Dangerous Games

**A/N: It's a long one but I hope you all enjoy reading it! Again, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. It really makes me smile as I read them.**

* * *

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

We departed the plane in Belfast and our Brothers from SAMBEL were waiting for us at the hanger. They made their way over, following their president Keith McGee.

"Too long, Brother." McGee said in greeting to Clay. "Good to see you, Keith." Clay replied. "Travel well?" McGee asked. "Ah, we're all in one piece." Clay said. Jesus, can we get the pleasantries over with, I thought to myself as we all greeted out Irish Brothers. I just wanted to find Lexi and Sophie and get home to my kid.

We followed the members of SAMBEL over to their bikes and where two vans waited. We piled into the vans and headed towards the SAMBEL clubhouse. We started the drive and probably ten minutes in I looked up in surprise when I heard my Mother ask "What the hell is that?" I looked up and saw a road block up ahead. I looked at Clay, knowing we were thinking the same thing...we were being delayed because of Jimmy O.

"Police Services, Northern Ireland. As long as everyone has ID they should be ok. They ain't gonna bother running anything thru Interpol." Luther, one of the SAMBEL patches replied. "What do we do here?" I asked. "It's a random stop. Just keep it light. Smile and show them your passport." McGee instructed.

The head dick in charge came up to the window and looked in. "Identification." he ordered. "Hey, we're just showing our American brothers the beautiful Irish countryside, Officer." McGee replied.

"Identification." he said again. "You, you, you, you and you. Come on. Get out." he said to me, Clay, Opie, Chibs and Happy. Tig and Kozik were in the other van and had gone unnoticed up to this point. "This is bad." I heard Gemma whisper.

"Goddamn it." I said as I was shoved against the van. "Down! Down on the ground! Now!" the Lieutenant ordered. "What's the worry here, lads?" McGee asked. It hadn't gone unnoticed that it the only ones not having guns pointed at them were our SAMBEL Brothers.

"We'll be detaining them. You here, on the ground now! Get down! Down! Down! Down! Down!" he ordered again.

"On your knees." the Lieutenant said. "Dirty Loyalist bastard." Chibs replied spitting at the Lieutenant as he elbowed the cop.

There was shouting, pushing and then gunfire shot into the air. "Get them in the van now! Move! Move! Move them out! Move it! Get in there! In the van now!" the Lieutenant said.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

I watched in horror as Clay, Jax and the others were taken into custody. "Doesn't make sense." Luther said from the driver's seat. "Where are they going to take them?" I asked. "Jesus, after that ruckus, these assholes will probably just shoot them and dump them. Blame it on the life." he replied.

"Move it out." I heard the cop instruct. "Step on the gas." I ordered. "What?" Luther replied. "Just step on the gas." I ordered. "I ain't going to broadside no police." he replied. "You heard the lady, Luther. Run 'em off the road!" Padraic, Chibs's nephew ordered, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Luther.

I put my foot over his and stepped on the gas pedal. "Jesus! Mother of God! You out of your blood mind, woman? Holy shite!" Luther exclaimed as tires could be heard screeching and we crashed into the police van.

"Take 'em out!" Padraic ordered as he, Tig and Kozik approached the van, guns drawn. "Geez, it's not worth it! Let's go!" the cops in the other van said as they took off down the road.

"Come on...out with him. Stay down, don't move. Come on, get 'em out." Kozik ordered.

"All right boys. That was close." Padraic said. "Everybody okay?" I asked. "Yeah, good. Lovely." Clay responded.

I watched as Padraic took the cuffs off the SAMCRO members that had been detained and Jax, rubbing his wrists, said "Shit! What the hell was that?" "Welcome to Ireland." Padraic replied.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I was ready to fucking kill someone. Preferably Jimmy O for this set-up. And most of SAMBEL for the lack of balls they showed...most of them, other than Padraic, just stood to the side as we were about to become road kill.

"Where'd you get the intel on us?" Clay asked the Lieutenant. "I'm a police officer." he replied. "Yeah, then how come your buddies took off? What happened to backup?" I asked, obviously doubting anything he said. "Well they got scared 'cause shit went south." Opie replied for the cop. "Who paid you off?" I asked. "Now, Jackie-boy, this is mine." Chibs said as he proceeded to beat the shit out of the cop.

"Enough." Clay said. "Now...you ever want to chew with those teeth again, you're going to open up. Aren't you?" he asked the cop. "Hap?" I called out. "Yeah?" Happy replied. "Kill one of his men." I instructed. "Oh, yes I will." Happy replied, an eerie grin spreading across his face.

"Wait, wait!" the Lieutenant screamed as his officer yelled "No!" when Happy dragged him ten feet away. "We were paid to detain you, send you back to the States." the Lieutenant said. "By Jimmy O'Phelan?" Clay asked. "I don't know." the Lieutenant replied.

"Hap." I ordered. "I swear on my Mother's eyes we didn't get a name. Only money and the task." the Lieutenant said. "It's that bastard, O'Phelan." Chibs said. "Yeah. I guess he knos we're here." I replied. "Well we got to do something about all this 'cause I don't think we're going to get them through duty-free." Opie said.

"Pull their ID's." Clay instructed as he grabbed the ID's out of the pockets of the Lieutenant and his remaining officer. "Now we know your name. Charles. And now my boys know where you live." Clay said to the Lieutenant.

"I'd hate for anything to happen to that pretty family 'cause their da was on the take." I told him, looking at a picture of his wife and kids that was in his wallet.

"We can ruin your career and we can definitely ruin your life. Understand?" Clay said. "Aye." the Lieutenant responded. We all piled into the van, that had not been smashed and once again began the drive towards the SAMBEL clubhouse.

 **GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

We pulled behind a store that said "Ashby Provisions" across the front and into the parking lot of the SAMBEL clubhouse. I got out of the van and saw her. Looking at her was painful. She looked so much like Lori other than the hair color. Lori had the same fiery red hair as Lexi but Maureen's was more of a strawberry blonde. Apparently, both of my husbands had a type and it was staring at me in the face.

"Welcome." she said. "Thank you. I'm Jax Teller" Jax replied. "Maureen Ashby." she said as McGee walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Gemma." I said. "Clay. Nice to meet you." my Old Man said.

"Didn't expect you to make the journey." she said looking at me. "Where are the girls?" I asked. "Come on upstairs. We'll have a cup of tea." she replied, not answering my question. "I don't want any Goddamn tea." I replied. "This is my home, Gemma. Wee bit of respect would go a long way." she told me. I sighed. "You got coffee?" I asked. "Aye." she replied as we followed her up the stairs and into her home.

"How is it that you stayed here and Lori was raised in the US with a different last name? And why was Sophie raised over in the States?" I asked. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"My parents decided to move Stateside when I was fourteen. They didn't like Ireland, well Belfast in particular due to the fighting. Lori couldn't wait to go. Always the good girl, that one. I fought them tooth and nail. I ended up moving in with a friend's family for a bit. Our last name has always been Ashby but my parents wanted a fresh start so they changed it. Learning Lori was pregnant a few months after I realized I was pregnant came as a complete shock. It was even more surprising to learn the Father of her baby was SAMCRO." she said, pausing to take a sip of tea. No one said a word, we just waited for her to continue.

"I knew I wanted more for my daughter, more than this life. If The Kings ever found out that I was the Mother of John Teller's daughter I had no doubt they would use that knowledge to draw her into their vicious war. I made the decision to get her out. My brother, Father Kellan Ashby, took care of the details and arranged to have Trinity raised by my Mother's cousins, the Buchanan's, in Savannah. She was two when I last saw her." Maureen told us.

"Trinity?" I asked, confused. "Her name before she was adopted was Trinity. I guess I always think of her as my Trinity. It was changed and I understand she now goes by Sophie." she replied.

"How did The Kings find out about her?" Jax asked. "Father Kellan is getting too powerful. He used it as some sort of bargaining chip. I'm sorry. That's all I can really tell you." she replied before getting up.

"There are rooms down the hall. Take whichever you'd like. Clean linens are on the beds. It's not much but it's a bed. I need to get back to the store." she told us.

I watched as she paused at the door, her hand on the handle. She turned back and looked at me. "I'm truly sorry you had to find out this way, Gemma. I had hoped my daughter's true identity would never be exposed." she said before walking out the door.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Lex? Are you awake?" Sophie asked, knocking on the door lightly before opening it. "Yeah. Can't really sleep. Come on in." I replied, sitting up.

"It's 1:00am Soph. You should be sleeping. There's no telling what tomorrow will be like once we see the priest and The Kings." I replied, trying to keep the fear I was feeling out of my words and my tone.

"That's why I'm here. Everyone is asleep and unlike last night there are no guards posted outside my window. We need to move now." she whispered as she threw my hoodie at me.

"I don't know Soph. This could be a test of some sort. Maybe we should wait for SAMCRO to show up. You know they're on their way, if not already here in Belfast. Plus, where would we go?" I whispered in return, doubting the plan but getting dressed all the same. I thru on the jeans, t-shirt, hoodie and sneakers that Fiona had provided for Sophie and me when we arrived.

"There was a piece of paper hidden underneath the pillow on my bed. It's the address for Ashby Provisions...my Mother's store. It has the directions on how to get there as well. Now let's go!" she said, looking out into the hall to make sure the coast was clear.

We moved quietly and closed the door to the room Sophie had been given. It took the both of us, and all of our strength, to get the small window opened. It groaned under distress as we pushed it open. We froze, in fear that Jimmy or one of his guards would hear us. The only noise for a long minute was the sound of our breathing.

"You first." I told her giving her a boost. "If we get caught you need to run and keep going." I instructed as she went out. I climbed thru next, and like Sophie, practically bent my body in half to get my head and shoulders thru the tiny opening. When I was thru I launched myself out and dropped to the ground.

"How far?" I asked as we took off in a run down the street. "About seven miles." she replied. "We better pick up the pace then, before they realize we're gone and they come looking for us." I told her.

Just over an hour later we made it to Ashby Provisions, which was closed for the night. "Shit! Now what?" Soph asked. It had begun to spit a light rain, three miles into our run. It was cold and miserable. That's when we heard it. Loud music coming from out back, behind the store. We walked around the building and stared in disbelief. Set up, outside of what I was guessing SAMBEL's clubhouse was a boxing ring. There were metal trashcans all around the parking lot with fires burning in them. People were laughing, dancing and drinking while little children were running around at this late hour. All unfazed by the weather.

"What the fuck!? It's basically a Goddamn after church party!" Sophie said in an unhappy amazement. "Yeah. Only tonight Jax is beating the shit out of some guy. Glad to know they were worried about us." I said sarcastically, noticing he was being cheered on by Opie, Happy, Chibs, Tig, Kozik and my Dad. "Oh shit, Soph! Gemma's talking to Maureen. I can't believe she came to Belfast." I said as I watched them. It looked like they were arguing.

"Follow me." I instructed as we walked over in the direction of the boxing ring. Neither of us said a word until we were directly behind Clay and Opie. "So, you felt like going to a party to take in a boxing match before coming to rescue us? You're sure as fuck not going to win a Father of the Year award anytime soon." I said angrily.

The looks on their faces, as they turned around was priceless. What was even better was the look on Jax's face. He noticed me just after he threw a punch that TKO'd someone from SAMBEL. He didn't hear any cheering from his fan club and looked to see them staring at Sophie and I. We turned around and walked away before anyone could recover. We walked over to where Gemma and Maureen were standing.

"I was holding on to this pathetic hope all the way here. That maybe we were wrong about Sophie. But one look..." I heard Gemma say. "She's got my eyes and his smile." Maureen replied. "Did he know?" Gemma asked. "Yes." Maureen told her. "Jesus Christ." Gemma said shaking her head. "I was eighteen! I didn't know what I was doing. Neither did he. Look, I've no delusions about you and I being friends. I just think a lot of hate right now is no good to anybody. The shit between us, it needs to stay buried." I heard Maureen tell Gemma. "Seems no matter how deep I bury that shit, someone always digs it up." Gemma replied, before noticing Sophie and me.

"I need a phone to make some calls. Mine was tossed into the Pacific Ocean by Jimmy O. I also need the phone number for the priest." I said to Maureen. I didn't say a word to Gemma.

She looked at me and nodded her head before looking at Soph. "Trinity. My God, you're beautiful!" she said as she moved forward to hug Sophie. I felt Soph freeze next to me and in a cold, almost frigid-like tone, she replied; "My name is Sophie. Lexi really needs a phone and that number now, Maureen."

"That's no way to speak to your Mother, lass." McGee said, coming up behind us. I hadn't seen him since I was twenty-one and Ryan took me to Ireland. We had run into him at a pub in Belfast and he recognized me because of my resemblance to my Mother and to his Old Lady, my Aunt Maureen.

"Alexis." he said in greeting. "Asshole. I'm sure you have something to do with why we're here." I replied, the disdain I felt towards him evident in my tone.

"Lexi!" Gemma exclaimed. "You know you can't address a club president like that." she said. "Really Gemma? This lecture is starting to sound familiar. Going to tell me to fall in line again?" I asked. "The phone, please, Maureen." I said.

"I'll lend you a phone Alexis, but I won't give you Kellan's number. He knows where you are at all times. He'll find you." she told me. "So, we just wait?" I asked. "Aye. Your questions will be answered soon enough. Look, I'm sorry this has happened to you." she replied. "Fine. I still need that phone." I told her. "Follow me." she replied, with another look at Sophie.

"Minutes later we were inside Maureen's flat, above the store. "I need to call Ryan. Will you be okay for a minute by yourself?" I asked Sophie. "Yeah." she replied, glaring at Maureen.

"Hello?" his voice asked, filled with concern, when he answered. "Ry, it's me. I'm okay. I'm safe, for the most part." I replied. "Jesus! Lexi! Thank God. Sweetie, I've been so damn worried. Where are you?" he asked. "Belfast. I can't talk long but wanted you to know I'm okay. I'll probably need to be here for a few days but should be home by Saturday at the latest. I'll call you again as soon as I can get another phone." I promised him. After reassuring him I really was okay I ended the call.

I walked back into the kitchen. "Club wants you at the table." McGee told me. I headed towards the door and stopped in my tracks when he said "They want both of you." Fuck, I never should have gone to Charming. Then Sophie wouldn't be in this situation with me.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Thank God she's okay, I thought to myself as Lexi and Sophie followed McGee into the Chapel. I noticed the bruise on the side of her mouth and I was going to hurt whoever put it there. She refused to look at me, at any of us, besides Opie. "Are Kenny and Ellie okay?" she asked. "Perfectly fine. They're at TM with Abel. Cherry is watching them. They'll be happy to see their Auntie Lex and Auntie Soph soon. Are you two okay?" Opie replied, looking at Sophie as he asked the question.

"Fine." she answered tersely. She and Lexi exchanged a look and Lexi nodded her heard. Something was going on and I honestly dreaded finding out what it was. Sophie walked over and took a seat behind me, slipping me a piece of paper...

 _McGee and possibly SAMBEL are in bed with Jimmy_

It was penned in Lexi's handwriting. I looked up in surprise and met the stare of her angry blue eyes. She gave me the slightest nod. Fuck, I thought as I slid the paper towards Clay. He read it, not showing any emotion. He looked at Lexi. She nodded, answering his unasked question. He sighed, slammed the gavel on the table and announced the plans that were to be discussed would be done after everyone got a few hours sleep.

 **CLAY'S P.O.V.**

I can't say I was 100% surprised by Lexi's note. Something felt off with McGee ever since we got stopped by Jimmy O's dirty cops. I waited till the room cleared out and it was only SAMCRO, Lexi and Sophie.

"That's a serious allegation Lexi. Do you have proof?" I asked my daughter. The daughter who hadn't spoken to me in nine months other than the comment she made earlier tonight. She was right. I wasn't going to win any awards. I was fucking up this Fatherhood thing bigtime.

"When we were on the plane heading here I woke up when I heard Jimmy on the phone. He arranged to have you guys killed on the way from the airport. Instructions were to leave McGee and SAMBEL unharmed. Then shortly after we had dinner last night Soph and I heard him on the phone. He was talking to someone named Liam. Yelling about McGee. Saying he didn't have the guts and the brains to carry it out. Blaming him because y'all are still alive. Question him...do whatever you want to him, just promise me we don't have to stay here tonight. I know we can't leave Ireland till you settle your shit with The Kings but Soph and I can't stay in Belfast." she replied.

Fuck, Liam O'Neill was SAMBEL's Sargent-At-Arms. If he and McGee were working with Jimmy there was no telling how far down the ranks the traitors went.

"Where would you go?" Jax asked her. "A safe house of sorts. We, Soph and I, actually own a farm here, well just outside of Galway. It had been Robert's parents and was passed down to us when he died." she replied.

Jesus Christ, what else was I going to learn this trip, I wondered to myself. Before another word could be said there was a knock on the door. It was Gemma. "The priest is here. He'd like a word with his nieces. He's in Maureen's kitchen." she said. I watched as the color drained out of Lexi and Sophie's faces. Obviously, they knew enough to be afraid of Kellan Ashby.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"How did he find us? I never called him." I said. "Sophie doesn't go near him. I'll talk to him. Please Clay. Have the guys keep her safe." I begged. I protected her from the priest and his goons almost nine years ago and came close to going to jail because of what happened that night. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. "I know you would." Soph said, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Didn't mean to say that out loud. Too much going on in my head right now. And I'm fucking tired." I replied.

I walked over to Opie. "I know I don't have any right to tell you what to do but if anything goes wrong with the priest promise me you'll get Sophie out of Ireland immediately. She'll know what to do when you get her back to Charming. Promise me, Opie." I begged, almost on the verge of tears. The nerves of what I was about to face were getting the best of me. "Nothing's going to go wrong Lexi, but I promise." he replied.

I hugged Soph and turned towards the door. "No way you're doing this on your own. We're coming with you." my Dad said from where he stood next to Jax. "Aye. Count me in Little LK. Can't hurt to have one more with you." Chibs said. I nodded, following Clay out the door. Chibs was behind me. Jax was at my side, his warm fingers interlacing with my freezing cold ones as we walked up the stairs to Maureen's.

"Why the fuck does he have a gun?" Chibs asked, looking at Father Kellan Ashby when we walked into Maureen's kitchen. There he was, the devil incarnate, dressed in costume as one of God's most devout. I hated him more than I had ever hated anyone in my entire life. Feared him more than I had ever feared anyone...even more than I had feared Josh Kohn.

The priest ignored Chibs. "Alexis, it's been a while." he said, his hand never moving from its place on the gun that sat in front of him on the kitchen table.

"Not long enough." I replied. "Hmmm...I see you wear one man's ring yet another man has branded you. Not surprised. Things would have been different if you were raised here...you and Sophie." he replied. I felt Jax tighten his grip on my hand.

"What do you want old man? I told you the last time we saw each other that I would kill you if I ever laid eyes on you again. I hope the cane that's next to you is needed all these years later because I shattered your kneecap when I shot you. Speaking of things I shot, where's your favorite goon? I'd like to think he's walking around still missing a finger or two." I replied, with false bravado.

"Still an insolent bitch who needs to be taught a lesson." the voice from my nightmares said from behind us.

"Shamus O'Malley." Chibs said as we turned around. "He used to be one of Jimmy's guys." he told us. "You're not going to need that gun friend." Gemma said coming up behind him, holding a gun to his back. Chibs took the gun out of O'Malley's hand and tucked it into the back of his jeans.

I couldn't help myself. I lost it. I walked over and kicked him in the balls. "I should have shot your dick off for trying to rape me on New Year's Eve when I was sixteen while your brother and the priest tried to kidnap Sophie. You got off lucky. Your brother wasn't quite as lucky." I said.

I was shaking inside. I was filled with fear, anger and hate but the fear was overwhelming. I could see myself, the sixteen-year-old who managed to get her hands on her assailant's gun, shooting him first before shooting his brother and killing him. The last shot I had fired that night was at the priest.

"So, I'm only going to ask one more time. What do you want now? Why did you and The Kings give the okay for Jimmy to kidnap us?" I asked, subconsciously moving closer to Jax.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Jesus Christ." I heard my Mother whisper and Clay growl as Lexi talked about her attempted rape. I was going to kill O'Malley and the priest. I know the priest saw it in my eyes. I noticed his widen ever so slightly in fear.

"I spoke with The Kings. We got your attention, which is what we wanted. You'll need to keep running guns for the Irish. Jimmy has fallen out of favor with The Kings. You see, Jimmy O'Phelan wants to end the Army's relationship with the Sons of Anarchy. Wants to cut off the Belfast Charter from any future work. Stop dealing guns in Charming." he said.

"Running protection is SAMBEL's main gig. It's why my Dad helped set up this charter." I replied.

"Well Jimmy wants to keep that income in his pocket. Wants to start selling your guns to the Russians up in Oregon. For greater profit. Everything Jimmy does is for profit." he told us.

"What does that have to do with Sophie and Lexi?" I asked.

"The Army council have come to a very difficult decision. Jimmy's greed and arrogance has become a hindrance both internally and politically. You experienced an example of that hatred when you arrived in Belfast. The Kings convinced him to bring the girls here. They gave him a reason having to do with payback and vengeance. Things that Jimmy seems to thrive on." the priest told us.

"You're gonna get rid of him." I said, as it dawned on me where this was going.

"Well, Jimmy is enmeshed in so many things that define us. If word got out that we had killed one of our own leaders, there will be chaos. The Loyalists would have a field day." he said.

"But if someone from the outside killed him..." I replied.

"Vengeance of a distraught Father...a distraught Old Man...a distraught family. Payback for hurting two lovely American girls with deep Irish roots. It's something every Irishman would understand. You do that and you'll have our word that we'll leave Alexis and Sophie alone. It's been a pleasure seeing you all but I need to get going. The Kings are expecting your call Clay so I'll leave you to it. Alexis, I hear confessions on Tuesday mornings beginning at 8:00am. Your Aunt Maureen has the address of my Church if you want to stop by a little later to ask God's forgiveness for your sins." he said, rising from his chair.

"Fuck you!" Lexi said angrily. As soon as the door closed Lexi moved away from me as tears streamed down her face. "Sophie and I are going to the farm. We'll be leaving one way or another within the hour. Let me know when everything is done and we can go home." she said before walking out the door.

"Clay, the priest will never leave them alone. Make the deal with The Kings but get the okay to take care of the priest and Shamus as well. Chibs takes out Jimmy. It's only fair. You and I get the good padre and his hired gun. But we need to figure out what to do with McGee and Liam. SAMBEL will need to vote if we don't think there are other traitors amongst the ranks. Otherwise SAMCRO, as the Mother Charter, makes the decision." I told him.

I sat down in one of the chairs and pinched the bridge of my nose. This was too much. Fucking Belfast was more insane than Charming. "I think we should have Opie and Kozik take the girls to the farm. They'll be safe with the two of them." I said.

After being given the okay I headed out to SAMBEL's clubhouse. Opie, Tig, Happy and Kozik were standing outside it...almost guarding it. "The girls needed some privacy. Lexi was a mess when she got down here." Opie told me. That's when I filled them in on what had taken place.

Ope and I walked in to find both girls asleep on the couch. Lexi's cheeks stained with dried tears. We carried them out to the car. Kozik was in the driver's seat. "Let them sleep as long as possible. Just wake her to get the address when you reach the outskirts of Galway. Text me when you arrive. I'll let you know when it's done." I instructed as I lightly kissed a sleeping Lexi.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

It was afternoon, close to 2:00pm on Tuesday, when we arrived at the farm. It was definitely not your average farmhouse. The caretaker had been notified ahead of time of our arrival and lead us into the clean, warm inviting six bedroom, eight bathroom home. "Y'all are on your own for the rest of the day. I'm heading to bed. Soph will show you to your rooms. Make yourselves at home." I said, walking up to the second floor where my bedroom was.

"Lexi?" I heard Opie call out. I froze, hand on the bannister and warily looked over my shoulder. "You okay?" he asked, concern written across his face. "I need time to deal with it all. It wasn't easy and I'm exhausted." I replied, not fully answering his question. I walked into the room I had stayed in twice a year growing up and was happy to see the fireplace had been lit. I pulled a pair of pajamas out of a dresser drawer. I quickly changed and my last thought, as I crawled into the queen-size bed, was had it really only been ninety-six hours since I was last in Charming? It had felt like a lifetime ago.

"Lexi...baby open your eyes." I heard a voice say, disturbing my dreams. "Jax?" I asked, doing what I was told. He was lying in bed next to me...naked. "What day is it?" I asked, noticing it was dark outside. "It's Wednesday night, almost Thursday morning. Opie said you've slept since you got here. It's over Lexi. Jimmy O, Shamus O'Malley, the priest, along with McGee and Liam O'Neill will never hurt you, Sophie or anyone else ever again." he told me softly as he nuzzled my neck and his hand worked its way under my shirt until he found my hard nipple.

"Jax..." I moaned. "Let me love you Lexi. Please baby. I need you." he said, his voice thick with need and desire. "Just this one time, Jackson. I need to you too." I whispered.

I woke up hours later thinking it had been a dream. I was alone in my bed with my pajamas on. There was a light knock on my door. Sophie stuck her head in. "We got the okay to go home. Can you be ready in an hour? The plane is on its way from Belfast." she told me.

I was ready in less than that and we made the drive to Shannon Airport. We watched the jet land and taxi to the hanger. We boarded the plane and Jax winked at me. Maybe it hadn't been a dream, I thought as I felt a warm flush spread across my face.

I took a seat, once again trying to avoid those who had hurt and betrayed me all those months ago. I closed my eyes and didn't speak to anyone other than Sophie for the duration of the flight. Tommy was waiting for us at the airport in Oakland with Abel when we landed. "Mama!" he yelled out running to me on unstable little legs.

Another car pulled up, driven by Cherry, and as I held my son in my arms I watched as Opie was reunited with his twins. "Go get Daddy." I said to Abel as I put him down and sent him towards Jax. The twins were hugging Sophie and Opie. I walked over, looked at Ope and told him I loved him and to take care of his family. He knew I meant Sophie as well as the twins. he nodded and then I had my chance to hug Ellie and Kenny before walking over to Jax.

"I need to get to L.A. and then back to San Diego. I'll be in touch so I can facetime Abel. I'd like to take him one day over the next couple of weeks to celebrate his birthday since we missed it. We can figure it out in a few days." I said before Sophie and I got into Tommy's car and headed back towards Charming.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (11 WEEKS LATER)**

Somehow it was already less than two weeks until Christmas. I hadn't seen Lexi, in person, since that day at the airfield. I had hoped things would be different by now. I was in the process of moving out of the house. She was going to be in Charming for two weeks over the holidays so I was planning on staying in my dorm.

The house had been decorated just as beautifully this year as it had been last year I thought to myself as I pulled in behind Lexi's Range Rover. I had hoped to get out before she got home. I had heard thru the grapevine, meaning Opie and the twins, that Lexi wasn't looking like herself lately. Opie thought she had maybe been overdoing it at work.

I unlocked the door and heard the bathroom door slam shut. "Lexi?" I yelled as I walked down the hall.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Fuck, I thought as I heard Jax call out. I turned the faucet on to splash water on my face. "I'm about to hop in the shower. Just grab what you need and go. Neeta will be dropping Abel off in a bit." I yelled through the closed door.

I didn't get a response. I just heard some drawers open and close before his steps retreated down the hallway. As the front door slammed I was back on my knees, bent over the toilet and throwing up for the third time today. I flushed the toilet and sat against the wall. I sipped on a bottle of ginger ale as I studied the ultrasound photos on the floor next to me. I was eleven weeks pregnant with twins...


	21. Back To Charming

**SOPHIE'S P.O.V. (5 MONTHS LATER)**

It was a warm Monday morning in May when I stood on the TM lot next to Gemma watching as the Feds arrested Clay, Jax, Tig, Happy, Bobby and Juice. They hadn't realized they had been under surveillance when they did their run for the Irish last week. I felt guilty as I looked over to where Opie was talking to Tommy because I was thankful Opie hadn't been with them. Looking over to where Cherry stood next to Half-Sack, I knew she was feeling the same way.

Chibs and Opie walked back over to where we were standing. "We're going to need to raise some money to guarantee their protection on the inside. Tom thinks he can get their sentence reduced to fourteen months. We need to call in some of the other charters...it's now slim pickings around here, leaving us vulnerable." he told us.

He leaned down, kissed me and whispered in my ear before pulling away. "Opie, I can't. It's not fair to her." I replied shaking my head. "We don't have any other choice. As Abel's Mother she needs to know. Plus, she's the only one rich enough to cover their bail. Maybe this will help mend fences." he said leading me towards the clubhouse. Not sure about mending them...might actually split them further apart I thought to myself, taking a seat inside the Chapel. Chibs followed us in and closed the door so we wouldn't be interrupted.

"Are you kidding me, Soph?" Lexi's voice asked as it came across speakerphone after I told her what had happened. "Arrested? The six of them? Fuck! I'll talk to Tommy and find out how much their bail is. I can take care of that. Find out from Opie how much they'll need for protections when they go in. Obviously, I'm coming back to Charming, but Christ, Soph, I'm thirty-one weeks and going to pop soon. There's no way I can be in Charming and hide this condition for another four to nine weeks. I feel like shit as it is, every moment of every day. I'm heading home from the office now to pack a bag. I'll text you when I'm on my way." she said.

I took in the surprised faces of Opie and Chibs as Lexi's words sunk in. I shook my head at them. "Lex, we need to talk when you get here. You need to learn the truth about the day you walked in on Jax and Ima. Drive safe. Love you." I told her, ending the call.

I looked at Opie and Chibs. "Not a word to anyone about what you just heard. It's up to her to tell people when she's ready." I said.

"And when will that be? When the baby is eighteen? Is that why Little LK called off her engagement to the football player? It's not his?" Chibs asked. I didn't say a word but he saw it on my face. "Gemma's gonna shit." he said.

"It's been an extremely rough pregnancy. She's been really sick for most of it. The doctor said there's at least a 60% chance one of the babies has the family flaw, as Gemma refers to it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I promised her I wouldn't." I said, directing the last sentence to Opie.

"Babies? She's having twins?" Opie asked. I nodded my head. "I have to get to work. Neeta has the kids. I'll be back this afternoon before Lexi gets here." I said as I walked out of the Chapel.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"I think that's the quickest we've ever been arraigned and bail has been posted. Definitely some sort of record. Thanks man." I said to Tom as we stood outside the courthouse in Lodi. "Who did Gemma get to post bail? Oswald?" Clay asked.

Tom shook his head and pointed across the lot. "She put Un-Southern Charming up as collateral for your bond. I mean everything...the store, salon, café, inn and restaurant. Don't screw her by doing something stupid over the next two weeks. You have that long to get your shit in order and to turn yourselves back in. Could have been a lot worse than fourteen months." he said before walking back into the courthouse.

"He's worth every penny. Much better than Rosen." I heard Bobby say as I walked across the lot. Sophie got out of the passenger side and cut me off fifty yards from Lexi's Range Rover. "She just wanted to see for herself that you were okay. She'll see you a little later and you two can talk then." Sophie said. Before I could reply Rat pulled up with the van to take us back to TM.

I was quiet on the way back to the lot. We walked straight thru the main room of the clubhouse and into the Chapel. "I got protection set up for when you go back in. Two million is going to the Niners next week. Seven months in they'll get another two million. No one will touch any of you in Stockton." Opie told us.

"Where's the money coming from?" I asked, but already knew. "Lexi is covering it." he replied. I listened with half an ear as Opie told us that Donut, Bowie and Lorca would be coming down and possibly staying for good. They were requesting a charter transfer from SAMTAC to SAMCRO.

"Great work Ope. Thanks. We have two weeks to get our shit in order, as our lawyer told us. We need to reach out to the Irish and come up with a game plan while we're inside. I'm not willing to risk the rest of the club getting locked up. Might be time to put Cameron Hayes directly in touch with the Niners and the Mayans. Let him worry about delivering the product up North as well." Clay said.

As arguments were made for and against I didn't say a word. I thought about how much in Abel's life I was going to miss over the next fourteen months. Christ, he'll be almost three when I get out. I was so lost in my own thoughts I could have sworn I was hallucinating when we walked out of the Chapel and into the main room. I thought I was seeing the back of Lexi's head, her glorious crown of curly red hair, and hearing the sound of her laughter coming from the couch. I didn't think she was actually there until Sophie, who was standing in front of her, pulled her off the couch. She stood with her back to me for a minute before finally turning around.

"Hi." she said softly as she placed her hands over her enormous belly. She smiled and said; "I guess we should talk." She looked tired and pale, but somehow beautiful and radiant as she walked towards me. "Might as well have someone go get Gemma because I'm only going thru this once." she said as she walked past me and into the Chapel, where she sat down in Tig's chair.

I stood frozen in place. I heard Miles say he'd go get Gemma from the office. "Go listen to what she has to say. Just don't be stupid enough to think you're not the one who got her pregnant." Sophie hissed at me.

We sat in silence...Clay, Lexi and I...until the sound of Gemma's heels could be heard out in the main room. I watched as Lexi pushed herself out of the chair and a look of pain flashed across her face. "Ow..." she whispered. She held up a hand when she saw me stand, wanting to help her. "It's okay. It will pass." she said.

"I heard you were back in town. What kind of upheaval do you plan on doing to our lives this time? More relatives to spring on us?" my Mother said to Lexi, standing behind her.

I watched Lexi's eyes harden and an evil-like smirk replace her normally sweet smile. My God, how badly had we damaged her, I wondered as I heard her snidely say; "Actually, yes. How about your Grandson and Granddaughter?" She then turned around so Gemma could see what she was referring to.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

The petty part of me, the part that died and was replaced by a cold-hearted bitch back in January of last year, took pleasure in Gemma's surprised look when she saw my pregnant belly. It was that same part of me that slapped her across the face when she questioned who the Father was.

"Enough!" Clay roared. "We're going to sit down and discuss this like civilized adults."

"This wasn't the way I planned for you to find out. I was going to wait until after they were born. It's been a really rough pregnancy and there is a 60% chance one of the twins carries the family flaw. Gemma, I know what you went thru with Tommy and what we all went thru with Abel, and whether you believe me or not, I didn't want to put any of you thru that again. Everything changed when Sophie called this morning. I wasn't going to risk leaving you in jail for two weeks. Jax, you need to spend every possible moment you can with Abel. I'm moving back to Charming for good. Our current arrangement does no one, especially Abel, any good. When you get out of prison..." I trailed off as a sharp pain tore thru my midsection.

"Lexi!" Jax and Gemma exclaimed as Clay ran out to the main room to get me some water. "It's okay. Like I said, it's been a rough pregnancy." I replied, trying to keep my breathing even to reduce my heartrate as sweat ran down my face.

"When are you due?" Jax asked as he knelt in front of me. Concern filled his blue eyes as he looked at me solemnly. "Could be as soon as four weeks from now. I'm currently thirty-one weeks but twins come early more often than not. Jax, I had thought that night in Ireland had been a dream...until two months later. I had gone off the pill, before Ireland, because Ryan and I were going to start trying to get pregnant at the end of the year. The doctor told me to give my body a few months to regulate itself. Turns out it only needed a few weeks." I replied.

"Have you picked out names?" Clay asked. "Kind of. For my daughter I'm thinking Savannah Rose Teller. Savannah pays tribute to my upbringing, with Rose in memory of Gemma's Mother and obviously Jax's last name. I'm having trouble with a boy's name. I was thinking either Jackson Thomas Teller and calling him JT as a tribute to both Jax's Dad and Tommy or Jackson Morrow Teller and calling him Jack. Haven't decided yet...OOOOOWWWWWW!" I cried out again. I felt something wet and stared down in horror as blood ran down my legs and formed a pool between my feet.

"No! This can't be happening! I've been so careful!" I sobbed. Clay picked me up and carried me out to the couch in the main room as Jax called an ambulance.

"It must have been the drive and the stress from today." I heard Sophie whisper to Gemma. "Soph, call Dr. Namid and Tara. They'll know what to do. They've been consulting with my doctor's in San Diego." I reminded her.

"Where is the fucking ambulance?" Opie asked. "Just pulling in now with Charming PD behind them." Miles replied. "What the fuck?" Clay asked from above me. I could see the look of fear on his face and in Jax's eyes as Chibs switched out a blood-soaked towel for a clean one.

"Who's coming with her? We have room for one." the EMT said a few minutes later as I was loaded into the back of the ambulance. I saw Jax move forward but all I could say was "Soph" before everything went black.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

That one word out of Lexi's mouth made me feel as if I had been slapped across the face. I recoiled, selfishly thinking how much it hurt, until I heard the EMT announce that Lexi was unconscious before the ambulance door slammed shut and it sped out of the lot with Hale leading the way.

I didn't think twice. I ran to my bike, hopped on and sped out of the lot. I could hear the roar of Harley's and knew my Brothers weren't far behind as I raced thru the streets of Charming towards St. Thomas.

For the third time since Lexi came into my life two years ago, the waiting room was filled with SAMCRO patches. The first time had been when Abel was born and the second time a few months later when Donna was killed and Lexi had been shot. This time tho there were people who weren't SAMCRO with us. Sophie, David Hale, Wayne and Della Unser with their daughter Chelsea, Michelle from the café, Melissa and Ashley from the boutique, Laura the GM of Un-Southern Charming, Luann Delaney, Half-Sack's Old Lady Cherry, Elliott Oswald and Tom Montgomery all waited for news on Lexi and my kids.

As one hour turned to two the crowd started to dwindle. As the second hour turned to three we were back down to SAMCRO, Sophie, Tom and Cherry. "Baby." I turned when I heard Gemma. "Neeta's gonna take Abel, Kenny and Ellie to your house and put them to bed there. She said she'll stay the night in one of the guest rooms if we need her to." she told me.

"Thanks." I replied as I got up to pace. I saw Sophie watching me. I walked over to where she stood by the window. "I love her, Sophie, more than anything in this world. I never wanted this type of relationship with her. Hell, I thought we'd be married by now. I never wanted to hurt her and I'd do anything for her...for my family." I said, silently begging for her forgiveness and understanding.

"This is on you Jax. Whatever happens to her today and from this point forward is on you. You hurt her again and I'll kill you myself. I don't care about repercussions or the fucking club. All that matters are Lexi and the babies." she said before walking away.

"Jax..." I heard Clay say from behind me. I turned to see very serious looks on the faces of Dr. Namid and Tara as they walked into the waiting room. Tara refused to meet my eyes as she followed Dr. Namid over to where I stood. I couldn't believe Tara had known this entire time that Lexi was pregnant.

"Jax, I think it's best if we speak in private, along with Lexi's Father, about what's going on. There are decisions, I'm sorry to say, that need to be made immediately. If you'll please follow me." he said before turning in the direction of the conference room, leaving Clay and I no choice but to follow.


	22. Best Intentions

**CLAY'S P.O.V.**

"Jax!" I yelled a short time later as he stormed out of the conference room. "Give us a few minutes and I'll let you know what we decide." I said to Dr. Namid.

"Ope...Hap, make sure he doesn't leave the hospital. I need him back in that conference room in ten minutes. No matter what it takes." I ordered before following Tara down the hall to see Lexi. "I can give you five minutes Clay but no longer than that. Try to keep her calm. We've given her a light sedative." Tara told me before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

Jesus, I thought to myself as I looked at my daughter who was hooked up to all sorts of tubes, machines and monitors. She looked as white as the sheets on the hospital bed. "I don't think I've ever seen you cry before." she whispered. I wiped the tears off my face, leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Lexi-Kate..." I began but stopped. I was at a complete loss for words. "I know Dad. It's a really shitty situation. I'm guessing they told you so you could convince me to deliver the babies today. I won't do it. Yes, Savannah will be fine but my little guy needs more time. If I deliver today his chance for survival drops to 30%. I'm not willing to risk it. He needs four more weeks." she told me, tears running down her cheeks.

"Alexis Kathryn, they said you won't survive four weeks. Hell, the way they're talking you won't live another four hours. You need to deliver those babies today. Who will raise them, raise Abel, if you're not here? Jax can't do it by himself baby girl. Think of Abel...of Savannah...of that little guy in there who has a 30% chance of survival...those three need both their Mother and their Father. A 30% chance is more than what Abel had. Seriously Lexi, I can't imagine Jax being able to survive...being able to live...without you. I know I've made mistakes but since you showed up in Charming everything I have done has been in order to keep you safe." I told her, praying to God I'd change her mind.

"I'm sorry. I'm not willing to risk it. I know I can do it. But I need a favor. I need you to send Tommy in. I assume he's in the waiting room. I know you have done what you think is best, but now you need to let me do the same for my children." she replied.

I walked out to the waiting room and delivered her message to the lawyer. He headed down the hall towards Lexi's room. "Where's Jax?" I asked looking at Happy. "Down in the hospital Chapel with Opie. They'll be up shortly." he replied.

"Dammit Clay! Are you going to fill us in on what's going on?" Gemma asked. She looked furious as she stood in front of me with her arms crossed. I looked at the scar on her chest and thought about the hell Gemma when thru when Tommy died. I was afraid no matter what decisions was made Lexi would go thru that same hell or I would go thru it if she died.

"Clay...talk to me. You're scaring me...scaring all of us." she said as she extended her arm towards the rest of our SAMCRO family. "What's happening with Lexi and the twins? Why did Jax go running out of the conference room and to the Chapel of all places?" she asked, concerned. But concerned for who? My daughter or our Grandchildren, I wondered.

"Clay?" Tara called out as she and Dr. Namid stood in the conference room doorway with Margaret Murphy, the hospital's administrator.

"Fuck!" I swore out loud knowing the words I spoke next would affect my relationship with Lexi for the rest of my life. "I want to have my daughter declared as medically incompetent. I want Power of Attorney over her medical care. Have your hospital lawyers do it now. I want those babies out of her ASAP and I want you to do everything possible to save my daughter's life."

I heard the gasp from Gemma and a cry of outrage from Sophie as Margaret Murphy hurried down the hall, I'm sure to get the hospital lawyers on it. I turned to walk out the door, to get some fresh air, as Wayne Unser and David Hale walked into the waiting room.

"Uh, Clay...look I know you're going thru some shit right now and this isn't going to help things but I'm, well Deputy Chief Hale and I, are here to serve you, Jax, Tig, Chibs, Bobby, Happy, Quinn, Kozik, Piney, Miles, Rat, Filthy-Phil, Half-Sack and Gemma temporary restraining orders. For the next four weeks none of you are to go within one hundred yards of Alexis Montgomery or make any attempt to contact her." the Chief said not quite meeting my eyes as Hale handed everyone a copy of the restraining order.

"Goddamn lawyer works fast. What about Opie? Why didn't he get one?" Gemma said as Jax and Opie walked into the room.

 **TOM'S P.O.V.**

I slipped back into the waiting room, unnoticed. I saw Jax and Opie enter just as Gemma asked her questions.

"I filed an emergency motion on Lexi's behalf earlier today. Her health has been a concern throughout her pregnancy along with the health of the twins due to the CHD. She had a fear something like this would happen but honestly thought it would happen after you all were in jail and Gemma would be the one trying to control her medical care. I made a couple of phone calls when I was in her room. I'm sure you know she holds a lot of anger and resentment still but please bear with me as I read this." I paused, pulling out a piece of paper out of my briefcase.

"As of 11:00am today Power of Attorney for the medical care of Alexis Montgomery belongs to Harold 'Opie' Winston in the event that Ms. Montgomery is unable to convey her wishes to the medical staff. Also, custody of Abel Montgomery Teller will be transferred to Sophie Anne Buchanan if Ms. Montgomery is unable to care for the minor when Jackson Nathaniel Teller checks in for his fourteen-month prison sentence in Stockton. At that time, if Ms. Montgomery is unable to care for Savannah Rose Teller and unnamed baby boy Teller after they are born, Ms. Buchanan will also retain sole custody until Mr. Teller is released from prison." I said, placing the document on the coffee table in the waiting room.

"Look, she loves you all and considers you family but her primary focus and concern right now is the babies and Abel. Now, if Clay is willing to drop his request for Power of Attorney the restraining orders will be nullified immediately." I said.

I watched as everyone looked at Clay and waited. The one thing I have always admired about Lexi is how damn smart she is. She has prepared for a hundred different scenarios ever since the doctor in San Diego told her that she most likely wouldn't survive this pregnancy. Something not even Sophie knew.

"I guess I don't have a choice. Opie, please try to reason with her. If she won't listen to me then maybe she'll listen to you. She obviously trusts you." Clay said. "I need to get some fresh air. I'll be back." he said to Gemma.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Ope...give me a few minutes with her before you go in." I said walking down the hall towards Lexi's room. "Jax, she needs to stay as calm as possible for her health as well as the twins." Tara called out as I opened the door.

"I look that bad, huh?" Lexi asked softly almost as if she could read my thoughts. "Not bad...more like fragile really...like a delicate porcelain doll." I told her as I sat on the edge of the bed and pushed a stray curl away from her face.

She laughed. "You always had a way with words Jackson Teller. You definitely know how to sweep a girl off her feet. I'm dying Jax but I promise you I'm going to make it four more weeks. Just until our son is strong enough to be born." she said with a sad smile on her face.

"Lexi, please. I can't live without you. I won't live without you and then what will happen to our kids? They won't have a Mother or a Father. Abel needs us...Savannah needs us...Jack needs us. He's strong Lexi. Plus, Dr. Namid and Tara know what they're doing. Please Lexi. Let our babies be born today." I pleaded with her, my eyes filling with tears. I couldn't help myself.

"You want to name him Jack?" she asked me. "Kind of. I want to give him a different middle name tho. Now hear me out...your grandparents last name was Ashby before they moved to Savannah. When you adopted Abel we gave him Robert's last name as a middle name. What do you say to giving Jack your Grandparents last name? What about Jackson Ashby Teller and yes we'll call him Jack." I suggested.

I watched as she smiled at me and reached for my hand before letting out a blood curdling scream. "Jax...something's really wrong." she cried as nurses and doctors rushed in.

"Lexi. I'm strongly encouraging you to listen to me. Your babies are in distress...both of them. I don't think any of you have much time left unless we perform a c-section now." Dr. Namid said as he looked at the print out from the fetal heart monitor.

"Jax!" she called out again. "I'm here." I said, taking her hand. "Lexi, please, baby listen to Dr. Namid." I begged again. "Okay. Don't leave..." was all she could say before the machines made all sorts of alarming noises and she flatlined.

"Jax, you need to wait outside." Tara said, shoving me out the door as they attempted to revive Lexi. The door was closed behind me. I slid to the floor, uncontrollably sobbing when I realized I just watched the woman I love die while I held her hand.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

Opie and I rounded the corner on our way to see Lexi when we heard Jax's cry of anguish and saw him on the ground sobbing. "No!" I screamed, unable...unwilling to believe it.

"Jax, what happened?" I heard Opie ask as he helped me down the rest of the hallway. "I don't know. She agreed to let them do a c-section today and then she flatlined. She died holding my hand. They pushed me out of the room." he said, his voice void of any emotion.

"This is your fucking fault! I'm going to kill you!" I screamed, sobbing as I fell to my knees and began punching and hitting him. He didn't try to stop me or block my blows. My gut wrenching sobs were too much to handle and I fell against him. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered "I'm so sorry Sophie. I'm so sorry." over and over again.

I didn't notice Opie leave or come back but, as I was lifted to my feet by Chibs and Jax to his by Kozik and Happy, Opie said he was going to find out what was going on. Jax and I were lead back to the waiting room where everyone else was.

"Opie is trying to find out what's going on. Little LK flatlined after she agreed to deliver the twins today." I heard Chibs say. I looked at Tommy who had collapsed in the chair next to me when he heard the news. "No. That can't be right. There must be a mistake." he whispered as tears rolled down his face.

Please God, I prayed. Please don't take her from us yet. I kept praying that mantra over and over again until what seemed like hours later Opie finally walked into the waiting room. He glanced at me before heading over to Jax and Clay.

Quiet words were whispered before Jax nodded. Clay turned to Gemma and motioned for her to follow as Opie grabbed my hand. We walked in silence down another hall until we were in the NICU at Abel's old room.

"Because she's a preemie, as a precaution only, they want to keep her in the incubator for a few days. We'll be able to hold her on Wednesday or Thursday and she should be able to come home later next week." Jax said.

I looked at the information card next to the incubator...Savannah Rose Teller. "She's so small but oh my God, look at that hair under her hat. It's just like Lexi's!" I exclaimed noticing the red curls.

"Wait! What about the other baby and Lexi?" I asked. "Both are currently in surgery. Dr. Namid and Tara felt Jack was stable enough to operate immediately to try to fix the hole in his heart." Opie told us.

"And Lexi?" I asked almost hesitantly. Opie shook his head and as far as I knew for the first time in our relationship lied to my face. "All I know is she is in surgery." he said not meeting my eyes.

"You're lying. Why?" I asked him when we returned to the waiting room. "Let's wait and see how Jack does before we talk about anything else. We should hear something soon." he said before getting up and walking back to the NICU where Jax was with his daughter.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I didn't have to look up when I heard the door open behind me. I knew Opie was the only one who would come in here I thought to myself as I stared at my daughter.

"She opened her eyes, and I know she can't see yet, but my God, Ope, they're the same shad of sapphire blue as Lexi's. She is a mini Lexi. I can't see any of me in her." I told him without turning around.

"Well nothing wrong with that because you're too ugly to be a chick." he replied, teasingly to lighten the mood. "Soph knows I lied to her. You're gonna need to tell her Jax. God, she and Lexi were raised as sisters. She's hurting." he told me.

"Excuse the interruption but Miss Savannah's roommate has arrived." Dr. Namid said as he and Tara gently pushed a second incubator into the room.

I looked down at Jack, his blue eyes wide open and blonde hair peeking out from his blue knit cap. Opie peered over my shoulder and looked at my son. "His sister may be all Lexi but this little guy is definitely a Teller." he said.

"He has the Teller strength too, just like his brother. The surgery went really well. I'd say four weeks in the incubator and then home by the end of June." Dr. Namid said.

I looked at Opie and knew it was time to tell the others about Lexi...


	23. Memories And Miracles

**GEMMA'S P.O.V.**

"What do you mean she doesn't remember anything?" I asked, confused. It was now Thursday and Lexi had woken up from her coma the night before. "It's called retrograde amnesia. They are sending her for a CT Scan now but think it was caused from the lack of oxygen going to her brain when she flatlined. She doesn't remember anything since she moved to Charming." Tara informed us, continuing on. "As far as we can tell her last memories are from just after when her Step-Father passed away. I spoke with the neurologist before coming to talk to you and he seems to think the best thing would be to have Sophie and Tom speak with her alone. She knows them and she remembers them. They can possibly break the news to her about her life here and everything she has done over the past two years."

"She doesn't remember Abel, Kenny or Ellie? What about our twins?" Jax asked. I don't think he had slept in the past seventy-two hours. "She had to be sedated when we told her that she had given birth to twins. She was horrified that she didn't remember being pregnant." Tara said.

"It's going to confuse the fuck out of Abel, Kenny and Ellie that she doesn't remember them. Is there anything we can do to help her regain her memory? Do we show her pictures and shit like that?" Clay asked.

"Retrograde amnesia is usually a temporary state so her memory should come back, but when it will come back remains unknown. Unfortunately, there really isn't a way to help it come back. It's something that will happen on its own. I wish there was more I could tell you but the neurologist will be down to see you as soon as he gets the results from the CT Scan. Opie will need to be here for that meeting since he does have Power of Attorney still. I would suggest having Sophie introduce the two of you, Ope, after she sees Lexi. I have to get going to check on a patient. I'll check in a little later." Tara replied, as she looked at her pager and got up to leave.

She paused at the door and turned back to Jax. "Uh, Jax...her crow tattoo kind of freaked her out as well. Especially the 'Property Of' stuff. Just a heads up." the good doctor said before leaving.

"Now what do we do?" I asked looking at Clay, Jax and Opie. We had been thru so much with Lexi that we were starting back at square one and this time there were my three Grandchildren to think about as well.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Seriously, Sophie? I'm having a hard-enough time believing I gave birth to twins and now I learn I adopted Jax Teller's son, have expanded our business, was engaged then cheated on my fiancé after being kidnapped, was shot and got this crazy tattoo? Anything else I've missed over the past two years that you need to touch on before I go see my children? Children that I don't remember being pregnant with?" I asked my best friend in a tone that mixed with disbelief and slight hysteria.

It was so frustrating. The last thing I remember in full detail was sitting in Robert's study reading a letter from my Mom. A letter containing her deathbed request. Then there were flashes of me looking at pictures and buying a house on-line. Who was I? Who actually did stuff like that?

"Soph, the letter from my Mom..." I started to say. "It's something that you still have but you did show it to Jax and you gave him the proof your Mom left for you. You decided you couldn't go through with your Mother's plan after Abel was born. Lexi, the doctor said your memory will come back. It's not a permanent thing. Don't rush it. It's going to take a little time. Now let's go see your children." she replied.

I was quiet as Sophie pushed me down the hall in a wheelchair. I just had blank space in my head where memories from the past two years should be. I couldn't believe everything that I learned over the past couple of hours, most importantly learning that I had given birth to twins and had an adopted son. Who doesn't remember their own children? What kind of person have I become since I moved to Charming?

"Jax is in there. I didn't realize he was there. Do you want to go back to your room and I'll bring you back to see Savannah and Jack a little later after he's gone?" Sophie said as we approached the room in the NICU Ward.

"No. I guess I'm going to have to see him at some point. Might as well get it over with." I replied.

"Jax." Sophie said to get his attention when we entered the room. He turned, surprised to see me. "I'll give the two of you some time alone with the twins. Maybe talking will help bring her memory back." she said to the good-looking blonde who apparently was the Father of my children.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked as I got out of the wheelchair and walked over to the incubators. "Weird. That's the only way I can explain it. I feel like I need to introduce myself to you, which is odd because we have an entire family together. They're so little. Are they okay? I know Jack had to have surgery right after he was born because of the CHD." I said, shocking myself.

"Who told you about the surgery?" Jax asked. I looked at him and that's when it came rushing back. All the memories of what happened right before I went into labor...the good and the bad...

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I watched as the memories came rushing back. I could see it flash across her face. The pain that I caused her was apparent. Before I could say a word to try to comfort her, to explain things, the door opened and in walked Gemma and Clay.

"She remembered a little when she saw the twins...and me." I told them. "You know who we are?" Clay asked. "Yeah. I remember talking to you in the hospital room yesterday, or maybe it was the day before. You cried. I also remember you carrying me to the couch at the clubhouse. I don't remember anything before that tho. I guess it's good that I remember my kids tho, well at least I remember being pregnant for a day." she replied.

She obviously still didn't want to have much to do with Gemma, because she didn't acknowledge her until my Mother had to open her big mouth.

"Convenient that you remember the two you gave birth to, but not the one you adopted." Gemma said to Lexi. "Gemma!" Clay exclaimed. "What? It does seem awfully suspicious." she replied.

"Maybe I'm better off not remembering anything if it means learning that I've become a bitter woman like you obviously are." Lexi replied. "If you don't mind I would like some alone time with my children. I understand Savannah can now be held and doesn't have to stay in the incubator." she said.

"Why don't you sit in the rocking chair and I'll get her out of the incubator." I suggested. "Clay and Gemma can come back later to visit with the twins. We'll give you some space." I said as I picked my daughter up out of the incubator and placed her in Lexi's arms. "She's a miniature version of you. She looks exactly like you." I said.

I walked out the door and left Lexi alone with the twins. I had hoped that more memories would come back especially after seeing me, Gemma and Clay.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (4 DAYS LATER)**

"So, do we live together?" I asked Jax as we sat in the twins' room at St. Thomas. I was being released tomorrow and had been told that Savannah could come home with me. I didn't have a room ready for her. Sophie told me she would set it up like the room I designed at my condo in San Diego. Thank God for Soph, I thought to myself.

"We did for a while. We hit a few rough patches. Clay, Gemma and I did what we thought was necessary to protect you. It's up to you. I can stay at the house for a couple of days since Abel and Savannah will both be there. We can take it one day at a time and see how it goes." he told me.

"That would probably be best. I'm concerned because I don't remember Abel. I hate saying that because I've looked at the pictures of he and I on my phone and on Instagram but I don't remember him and it really upsets me." I told him.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (1 DAY LATER)**

The next day Jax drove me and Savannah home. I hated leaving Jack in the hospital but knew I needed to get into some sort of routine and I still needed to meet Abel.

"I remember the house. I bought it and had it furnished before I moved here." I told Jax as he pulled into my driveway. "I just don't remember actually living here."

"Are you sure you're up for this? Gemma and Clay are inside with Abel. If you're not ready I can have my Mother take him downstairs until you get settled in your bedroom. I know Gemma will gladly take him home for the night." Jax said as he got Savannah out of the car. "Yeah, I'm sure." I replied walking up the cobblestone path towards the front door.

"Who's finally home?" I heard Gemma call out in a sing-song tone. A little boy yelled out "Mama!" As footsteps could be heard coming towards us. I froze, unsure what to do until I saw him. I remembered him! I wasn't sure how or why but I knew him and knew what to do. I fell to my knees and opened my arms. "Hey baby! Did you miss me? I missed you so much Abel!" I said, tears filling my eyes. I held Abel for a long minute before my eyes met Jax's. "I don't know how it's possible but I remember him." I whispered, rising to my feet.

I took Savannah out of her carrier when we walked into the family room. "Abel, baby, come meet your sister. This, my love, is Savannah." I said from my seat on the couch. My almost twenty-month old son walked over and looked at his sister. "Pretty." he said as he ran his hand over his sister's red curls. He then went back to where he was playing with Legos on the floor.

"Could have gone a lot worse." Gemma said from where she sat next to Clay on the loveseat. "I'm sure if he had any issues meeting his sister for the first time you would have just told him to fall in line and deal with it." I replied. She looked at me in disbelief. "Oh my God! That's what you told me when..." I trailed off as the memories came rushing back.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I watched as Lexi's memories from the past two years came rushing back to her. I saw happiness and a lot of sadness in her eyes. I knew the moment she remembered walking in on me and Ima. I saw the memories of Ireland come back and the fear she felt learning Kellan Ashby had been waiting for her. I watched as she looked down at Savannah and cried. It was as if she was seeing our daughter for the first time.

"I'm not kicking you out Jax because you only have nine days to spend with your kids before you go to prison but you Mother needs to be gone when I come back from feeding Savannah. I remember EVERYTHING and don't want Gemma or Clay in my house or near my kids." Lexi said to me, not acknowledging our parents, before she walked into the kitchen.

"Jackson! You're not going to let her keep me from my Grandchildren, are you?" my Mother asked, outraged. "All the pain and hurt we caused her just came back. It's fresh and raw. Give her a few days. She's going to need help when I'm locked up. Between the business and the three kids she's going to need someone besides Sophie in her corner. Why don't you two take off now and I'll call you later." I replied, hoping to pacify all parties involved.

A few minutes later I walked into the kitchen. Lexi, looking extremely pale and shaken, sat at the table giving Savannah her bottle. "They're gone." I said, watching her. "Thanks." she said softly, not meeting my eyes.

Before anything else could be said I heard the front door open and the voices of Kenny and Ellie calling out for Abel and the baby.

Lexi smiled when Kenny told her the baby was almost as pretty as she is. "Where's the other baby? Where's Jack?" Ellie asked. I explained that he needed to stay in the hospital for a while longer.

"I'm going to put her down for a nap." Lexi said, heading towards the bedrooms. "What's going on?" Opie asked me. "She remembered everything as soon as she saw Abel. Everything from the past two years came rushing back at once. She kicked Clay and Gemma out of the house." I replied.

"How am I supposed to leave her with three kids for fourteen months?" I asked Opie and Sophie. "We'll be here for her. Whatever they need we'll be here." Opie replied as Sophie went to check on Lexi.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"You okay?" I asked Lexi. She was sitting on her bed watching Savannah sleep in her bassinet. "I don't know Sophie. I want a normal life and that doesn't seem possible in Charming. The memories came back as soon as I saw Abel. I think it's because up to me giving birth he has been the only non-tainted part of my life. Now with Jax and the others going to jail I'm going to be on my own with three kids. Jesus, Abel will be almost three by the time Jax gets out. And the twins will have had their first birthday by the time he gets out. How can I do this on my own and run a business? It gives me a headache. I think I'm going to nap while Savy naps." she said. She then laid down with her back to me.

I quietly closed the door and walked back down to the family room. "Lexi and Savannah are both napping. Why don't I start dinner...one less thing for you to worry about doing." I told Jax before walking into the kitchen. Jesus, what a fucking disaster Lexi's life had become.

I opened the containers I had brought with me. I went out to the deck to start the grill. Moments later I heard the sliders open and knew Jax was behind me.

"Sophie, what am I going to do? I hate the uncertainty. I hate having to go away when things are such a mess. How do I fix it before I go in? How do I make things better?" he asked. I knew he was stressed and meant what he said but I still wasn't ready to forgive him for hurting Lexi the way he did.

"Jax, she almost died. She lost her memory and got it back less than three hours ago. She's going to need time. Be the man she fell in love with. You guys will find your way back to each other." I told him.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (9 DAYS LATER)**

This had to be one of the worst days of my life, I thought to myself as I looked down at Jack in his incubator. I wasn't going to be there to hold him when he got out of the toaster in two weeks. I wasn't going to be there in five weeks when he finally was able to leave the hospital. I was going to miss so much in not only just his life, but in Savannah and Abel's as well.

I turned and looked at Lexi. We hadn't spoken much over the past nine days and I had so much to say. "You sure you don't mind driving me to TM? I need to be there in forty-five minutes." I said.

"Yeah. It's fine. I know Gemma will be there. I'm sure she wants to see Savy and Jack. Plus, it doesn't feel right to keep them from Clay before he goes in." she replied. I felt her eyes on me as I said goodbye to Jack before picking Abel up and carrying him out to Lexi's Range Rover.

She was quiet on the drive to TM. Everyone was there, waiting outside. I got Abel out of his carseat and watched as he ran towards Clay. "Papa!" he called out running as fast as his little legs could carry him. I took my daughter, kissed her and told her I loved her. I saw the tears form in Lexi's eyes as I did. I then handed Savannah to Sophie and yelled for Abel.

I knelt down and tried to explain it to my first born. "Okay little man. Daddy has to go away for a little while. You be a good boy for Mommy, Grandma, Auntie Soph and Uncle Opie. Just know that I love you and I'll be home as soon as I can." I said hugging him.

I then stood up and looked at Lexi. She was openly crying. "I wasted so much time being mad at you this week. I'm sorry for that." she said. "Lexi, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who fucked up. I hate leaving you like this. Just know I love you. I never stopped and I never will." I said taking her into my arms and kissing her.

I let go a moment later and didn't look back as I walked towards the van where Clay, Tig, Bobby, Juice and Happy waited. I knew if I looked back I wouldn't leave. I got in the back of the van and couldn't help but smile. "Why the fuck are you so happy?" Tig asked. "I think I just got my Old Lady back." I replied not knowing how far from the truth that statement actually was.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (4 ½ MONTHS LATER)**

"Teller! You have a visitor." the guard said to me on a Saturday afternoon in mid-October. I had given up hope that Lexi would be waiting for me whenever I was told someone was here to see me. Usually it was Opie or Gemma. I followed the guard past the visitation area into a family visitation room. It could only mean one thing, I thought to myself as the guard opened the door.

"Daddy!" Abel yelled as he ran over to me. Dressed in jeans, a long sleeve white shirt with a black short sleeve Harley t-shirt over it along with white sneakers there was no doubt he was my kid. His blonde hair had been cut and was now short and spiky. His blue eyes sparkled as I dropped to my knees and hugged him. "Where's your Mommy?" I asked. I picked him up, walked over to the table that was occupied by Sophie and my daughter and sat down. "It's unbelievable how much she looks like Lexi." I said as I looked at Savannah asleep in her baby carrier.

"Mommy's at the hospital with Jack." Abel said, poking my arm with his little finger, trying to get my attention. "He went after my birthday." Abel continued. I looked at Sophie, I'm sure with the questions that were going thru my mind written across my face.

"Jack's not doing well. I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you but Lexi has been with him day and night at St. Thomas for over two weeks. Tommy is working on getting you out of here for a few days. There's something called a compassionate release. Typically, it is what's done when a funeral takes place for the immediate family member of an inmate but Tommy thinks he can get you out so you can see Jack...just in case." Soph told me, her green eyes filling with tears.

"Why didn't anyone tell me? Gemma was just here last week and she never said a word." I replied. I didn't understand how this was possible and why my Mother wouldn't have told me.

"Lexi told her she was going to tell you today. She had planned on bringing the kids up to see you. But she couldn't bring herself to leave the hospital today. She had told all of us two weeks ago that if we told you about Jack then she would keep us from seeing the kids. Until today, she didn't want you to know. She knew it would destroy you, being in here and not being able to be with him. She called me this morning and asked me to bring Savy and Abel to see you. She also asked me to tell you what's been going on. I'm sorry Jax. I know it doesn't make things better but I do have these for you." she said handing me an envelope. There were pictures of Lexi and the kids. Pictures of them at home, at the clubhouse, at Sophie's and then at home for Abel's second birthday party.

"What are his chances? What do Dr. Namid and Tara say?" I asked, still not willing to believe it.

"It's not looking good. You're going to want to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario." she replied.

Jesus Christ, I thought to myself as Abel took my hand to show me the toys the prison had available for kids to play with in the family visitation room. For the next forty-five minutes I felt Sophie's eyes watching me as I played with Abel. I heard noises coming from the baby carrier so I got up and walked back over to the table. I lifted my daughter into my arms. Yes, she was all Lexi, right down to the way she looked at me. It was more than slightly unnerving.

"Teller, time's up." the guard said. It broke my heart saying goodbye to Abel. I promised him I'd see him soon and to be a good big brother. "Thanks Soph. Ope can get in touch thru one of the guards. He has the cell number. Tell him to keep me updated on Jack's condition." I said before kissing Savannah and putting her back in the carrier. I looked at Abel again and smiled to let him know things would be okay before I followed the guard back to my cell.

"Who pissed in your Cheerio's?" Clay asked from the bunk above me. I filled him in on Sophie's visit, Jack's condition and then showed him the pictures Sophie had given me of the kids and Lexi. "What are you going to do?" he asked me. "Pray for a miracle that Tom can somehow get me out of here so I can go see my family." I replied, closing my eyes and prayed for the first time since Lexi was admitted to St. Thomas and forced to deliver the twins early.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I sat in a NICU room at St. Thomas and once again read to my son. After two more surgeries over the past two weeks he was somewhat stable for the moment but not out of the woods. Dr. Namid and Tara were not optimistic.

"How is he today?" Opie asked coming into the room. "The same." I replied. "Soph told Jax. She picked up Kenny and Ellie from Cherry's house. She took all four kids back at your house. She told me to have you call her if you need anything or want to go home to shower and eat. One of us can stay with Jack for a bit. You need to rest Lexi and see your other kids." he told me. I didn't ask how Jax handled the news. I could only imagine. I hadn't wanted to tell him, knowing he would go insane not being able to be here. Opie's cell phone rang and as he quietly answered it I went back to reading to Jack.

"Lex, here." Opie said, handing me his phone. "Hello?" I said quietly. "Lexi, it's me." Jax's voice came across the phone. I started crying when I heard his voice. "Your cousin is some sort of miracle worker. I'm with him on my way to Charming right now. They let me out for seventy-two hours. I have to wear a tracking monitor around my ankle but I'll be at St. Thomas before 3:00pm today." he told me. I could only nod. I handed the phone back to Opie and looked back at my beautiful baby boy.

I was still sitting there two hours later, with Opie by my side, when Jax followed Tommy into the room. "Hi." he said softly. "We'll give you some privacy." Opie said as he hugged Jax before following my cousin out to the waiting room.

"Lex, you should have told me. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own. I'm his Father. I had a right to know." he said, walking towards Jack's incubator.

"I can understand you feeling that way but I'm doing the best I can. I've been trying to do what is best for everyone, including you. How am I supposed to get thru the next 9 ½ months without you? How am I supposed to keep it together if something happens to Jack? I don't believe in miracles, or happy endings, anymore Jackson and I don't know how to keep going, how I'm going to live, if he doesn't make it." I told him, sobbing uncontrollably as I collapsed back into the rocking chair.

* * *

 **A/N: So, I have to admit I did consider letting Lexi die and Jax experience life as a single parent, but I don't feel that their story is over quite yet. There's still so many things to touch on and write about. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (as painful as it was to write about Jack) and from the bottom of my heart thank you for the AMAZING reviews. It makes me so happy to know that this story has touched you all and even brought some of you to tears!**


	24. In Case You Forgot Who I Was

**LEXI'S P.O.V. (9 MONTHS LATER)**

I knew I should be at the Clubhouse by now. Today was the day Jax, Clay, Bobby, Juice and Happy were getting out of prison. Not only was it going to be an After-Church Party but according to Opie, Chibs and Half-Sack it was going to be the Welcome Home Party of the century.

Opie and Half-Sack had taken the van up to Stockton a few hours ago to bring the guys home...well to bring them home to the Clubhouse. I was sure they were there by now, things well underway, but here I am sitting on the floor of my walk-in closet trying to decide if I was going to make an appearance and what I was going to wear if I went.

I could hear my cellphone ringing, for the fourth time in twenty minutes. It was buried beneath a pile of clothes on my bed. I figured it was Gemma or Sophie wondering where I was. I didn't bother getting up to answer it because I knew the kids were with Soph and would be spending the night at her house, along with Opie's twins, after she left the party.

My hair and makeup had already been done. I was still trying to decide if I was going to make an appearance would it be as Lexi Montgomery, the Old Lady of Jax Teller or as Lexi Montgomery, the SAMCRO Princess and daughter of Clay Morrow. I stared at my wrist. I wasn't sure whether to cover up the crow tattoo or not. I wasn't sure where things actually stood between Jax and I.

 **FLASHBACK**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V. (5 MONTHS EARLIER)**

I decided to make the trip to Stockton to deliver the news about Jack in person. I wanted Jax to hear it from me and not from anyone else. The plan was to tell him and Clay together. I endured the initial identification process and the pat-down before I was escorted into the visitation room by a guard on a Sunday morning in late February. I stopped short as soon as I walked into the room, causing the woman behind me to walk into me. "Watch it Puta." she hissed at me. I ignored her and moved to the side, unable to believe what I was seeing. Ima and Lyla, another one of Luann's girls, was sitting at table with Jax.

Ima had her fingers linked with Jax's while my fingers held the photos of our three happy, and finally health, children. It had been a year and a half since I had last seen Ima...a year and a half since I last beat the shit out of Ima. It had been almost two years since Luann didn't listen to my instructions to fire Ima, so K.A.E. Enterprises was not funding her new porn studio.

I felt the rage set in but knew this was not the time or place to handle my issues with Ima. I walked over to the table and put my hand on Ima's shoulder, squeezing it tight enough to leave a bruise. "What the fuck?" she asked looking up at me. "Not another word or I'll break your nose for the fourth time." I replied.

I then looked at Jax, who had the brains to move his hand out of Ima's grasp when I had made my presence known. I tossed the photos on the table. "Just thought you'd like to know all three of our children are doing well. Jack got the thumbs up at his last doctor's appointment. Just when I was staring to believe in miracles I see you're up to old tricks again Jackson. Looks like it's a threesome this time." I told him. I didn't say another word. I turned and walked out of the room, noticing the Mexican woman from earlier watching me.

I knew Jax wasn't having a conjugal with Ima and Lyla but it infuriated me seeing Jax and Ima together...seeing them touching in even the slightest of ways.

 **PRESENT DAY**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I shook my head at the memory and got up off the closet floor. I walked into my bedroom and looked at my phone. Two missed calls from Sophie and two missed calls from Gemma. I also had a text message from Soph. Luann's girls were at the clubhouse waiting for the guys to get there along with patches from other charters, hang-arounds, sweetbutts and croweaters.

Fucking Ima. The thought of her forced me to make my decision once and for all. I was going to reclaim my position as Jax Teller's Old Lady. I was going to end Ima's dream of being with the Prince of Charming for good. I threw on my favorite pair of low cut tight leather black pants, exposing my stomach which was once again flat thanks to chasing three kids around on a daily basis. I put on a satin sapphire blue corset-style top that dipped low between my breasts and zipped up the back. I slipped my feet into a pair of black-lace peeptoe Louboutin booties with a four-inch heel. I stood in front of the floor length mirror and realized as good as I looked with my long red hair falling in soft curls down my back and my blue eyes sparkling with anticipation I was missing one thing. I went back into the closet, grabbed my short black leather reaper jacket with the Swarovski crystals and slid it on. Now I was ready I thought to myself, with a smile, as I grabbed my phone and keys before heading out the door.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I could hear the music blaring as we drove down the street towards the TM lot. I looked at my brothers and grinned. It had been a long fourteen months and everyone was ready to have a good time. I climbed out of the van and my eyes immediately scanned the crowd for my family. I spotted my Mother and Sophie standing together with Abel in front of them. Gemma nudged Abel. When he saw me his face lit up with a big smile and he yelled "Daddy!" as he started running towards me. Sophie followed with Savannah in her arms and Gemma with Jack in hers. I picked Abel up, swung him around and kissed him before putting him back on the ground. I took Savannah from Sophie and kissed my daughter. God, she had gotten so big and still looked exactly like her Mother. "Down Daddy. Want Abel." she said, trying to wiggle out of my arms. I put her down next to her brother and then looked at Jack. Jesus, I can't believe he's still here. "Come here, buddy." I said, the emotion thick in my voice. He looked at me and even though he was all Teller the intensity in his eyes was all Lexi. "Hi Daddy." he said with a smile. "Hi Jack." I replied pulling him close to me. We had come so close to losing him. Just like his sister he wanted to get down to follow Savannah and Abel over to play with Kenny and Ellie.

As I watched the five of them go over to the sandbox and swing set I wrapped an arm around my Mother's shoulders. "Welcome home baby." she said, giving me a hug before turning to greet Clay.

Opie walked up and handed Sophie and I each a beer. "You look good, Brother. Hair's a little long but looks like you put on some muscle in jail." he said.

"Thanks, Ope." I said taking a sip of my first beer in fourteen months. God it tasted good. "Yeah, my hair isn't anywhere as longs as yours but I need to get it cut. Going to visit Floyd tomorrow for a cut and to have him clean up my face. Beard's a little out of control as well. There wasn't anything else to do in prison but workout. Spent a lot of time doing that. Maybe I can finally take Half-Sack in the ring." I joked, looking around the lot once again.

I felt Sophie's eyes on me. I looked down at the beautiful woman who was bound to become Opie's Old Lady. We had come to a truce of some sort ever since she came to see me that day in Stockton. I knew what a rock she had been for Lexi and I loved her for that.

"I texted her and called her twice. I don't know what to tell you Jax. I really thought she would be here." she said, her eyes narrowing as she looked past me. Before I could say a word, an arm slid around my waist and another beer was held up to me.

"Looked like you could use another beer Jax. Don't want my man to go thirsty on his first night home." Ima said to me.

 **OPIE'S P.O.V.**

Oh shit, I thought as I saw Ima approach. I also felt Sophie freeze next to me as we watched Ima wrap her arm around Jax's waist. I saw Sophie, out of the corner of my eye, take a step forward and knew that she was prepared to kick Ima's ass. As hot as that would be, it was going to be better to let Lexi handle shit I decided, as I saw her black Range Rover pull into the lot.

"Soph." I whispered as I bent down. I told her Lexi just pulled in and I saw her smile. It was the same type of smile she wore the night I went to Lexi's and told the girls that Ima was on the lot. It was a mischievous grin. God, I love this woman I couldn't help but think. I hadn't said the words yet but knew I would sooner rather than later. I wanted her to not only get inked with my crow but I wanted to marry her as well. I had plans and knew with Lexi's help the proposal was going to be perfect.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Jesus Christ! Are there enough fucking people here?" I said to Miles as he met me at my car. He handed me a shot of Jameson and a Bud Light. "Saw you pulling in and thought you'd want the shot before you went too far into this crowd." he said.

"Thanks." I replied, downing the shot and taking the beer from him. "Where's my Dad? I need to welcome him home before I do anything else." I said, my eyes narrowing at the sight of Ima standing next to Jax.

"He's inside. Look, Lexi, I know it's not my place but because you look the way you do right now, which is really fucking hot by the way, if you're gonna kick Ima's ass tonight can you please do it in the ring so I can make some money on the fight?" he teased. Miles and I had become good friends over the past fourteen months and I loved him like a brother. It was my mission to find him a good woman who was not a croweater or pornslut.

"I'll see what I can do. No promises tho." I replied with a grin before I walked towards the clubhouse.

"There's my girl! Give me some sugar!" Bobby said as I was engulfed in a bear hug. "Welcome home Bobby. We've missed you." I told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Where's my Old Man?" I asked, looking around.

"Which one?" a voice asked from behind me as a pair of hands found their way to my hips, lightly touching my exposed skin. "My sperm donor. Welcome home Tiggy." I said, gently prying myself out of Tig's grasp. I kissed him on the cheek and went in the direction of the way he pointed in search of Clay.

"Welcome home Dad." I said walking up behind where Clay stood talking to Jury from Indian Hills and Montez from the Reno Charter. Gemma was next to him. "Lexi-Kate." he said, pulling me in for a hug. "I missed you. Not just these fourteen months you were locked up but before that, during the time I was in San Diego." I said, meaning every word. It was time to stop fighting it. Experience what I did with Jack made me realize how important family truly is. "I missed you too baby girl." he said smiling down at me. "Enjoy your party. I'll find you in a bit." I told him.

I tried to walk away but was stopped by Gemma. "Thank you." she said, surprising me. She must have seen the surprise flash across my face because she laughed. "You have no idea how truly happy you just made Clay. Thank you for that." she said smiling. "I meant it Gemma. This is a fresh start for all of us and I want to make the most of it." I replied. "For all of us?" she asked pointing at my wrist. "Yes. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go properly welcome my Old Man home and remind the pornslut that I'm Jax Teller's Old Lady." I replied with a grin. "Mind if I follow along? This I want to see." she said. We both laughed. As we turned to head out to the lot I heard Clay say something about Old Lady business before continuing his conversation with Jury.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I ignored Ima, hoping she would get the hint and leave. I continued my conversation with Opie and Sophie. As we talked about the kids I noticed their smiles get bigger before Soph walked past me. I turned to see her hug Lexi. Words were whispered and Lexi nodded. She finally turned to me and as she smiled at me I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time. She held her hand out towards me and as I took it she said, in that sexy Southern drawl of hers; "Welcome home Jax. I've missed you."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my head down for a kiss. It was like a dream I thought as I picked her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She didn't loosen the grip she had as the kiss intensified. She pulled back, ending the kiss – too soon in my opinion – and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

I was tempted to take her into my dorm right then and there. It had been way too long. It had been almost two years since we last made love in Ireland. Two years since I felt her writher in pleasure under me. Two years since she called out my name in ecstasy. "Jax, put me down for a second." There's one thing I need to do." she said.

I did as she requested and I watched in shock as I listened to my Mother, Sophie and Opie cheer her on as Lexi turned to Ima, said "In case you forgot who I was I'll remind you. I'm Jax Teller's Old Lady. Something you'll never be bitch." before punching her in the face and with one shot she once again breaking Ima's nose.

She then turned back to me, smiled and said "Let's go see our kids." She grabbed my hand, leading me to where the kids where playing in the sandbox.


	25. My Charming Life

**JAX'S P.O.V. (1 DAY LATER)**

I woke up early on Saturday morning and without opening my eyes I automatically reached for Lexi, only to find we weren't in bed by ourselves anymore. Thankfully I had heeded her advice and threw on a pair of boxers after making love for the third time during the course of the night. I looked down and saw Savannah laying between us. I couldn't believe neither of the twins were in cribs at fourteen months. According to Lexi they refused to sleep in their cribs as soon as they turned a year old. She had ordered full size beds for both of their rooms and had temporary rails on the side of the beds so they wouldn't fall out but could climb out at the end of the bed. I don't know how but she managed to train them so if they woke up before she did they only came into her room or Abel's room.

I watched my Old Lady and her mini-me, our daughter, sleep soundly for a bit before going to check on the other two kids. Abel and Jack were both still asleep in their own rooms. I walked thru the kitchen and onto the deck where I watched the sun rise as I smoked a cigarette. I knew things weren't perfect – Lexi and I still had a lot to discuss, but it couldn't get any closer to perfect than it was at this moment. Fresh air, beautiful sunrise, warm morning, no prison bars and my family sleeping inside.

I looked out at the sparkling pool and thought since it was supposed to be a warm July day Lexi might be willing to host a pool party and cookout this afternoon. Not for everyone, just us, the kids, Gemma, Clay, Ope, Sophie and the twins.

"Daddy?" I heard a voice ask from behind me. My almost three-year-old son was wiping the sleep from his eyes. "Good morning Abel." I said picking him up. "Do you live here now with us?" he asked. "Yes, Abel. I live here with you, Mommy, Savannah and Jack now." I told him. I wasn't sure how much damage I had done to him and the twins by being gone for so long. Not only that but I wasn't sure how much Abel remembered from the time Lexi lived in San Diego with Ryan.

"I want pancakes, Daddy. It's Saturday. Mommy always makes pancakes on Saturdays." my son told me. I wasn't quite sure what kind of pancakes Lexi made the kids or where all the ingredients were so I carried Abel down towards the bedrooms to find Lexi was up and changing Savannah's diaper.

"Mommy! Daddy & I want pancakes!" Abel said, excitedly. "Is that so? You and Daddy want them?" Lexi asked, with one eyebrow raised. "Good morning." I said to her, giving her a quick kiss and putting Abel down to pick up my daughter. "What time will Jack be up?" I asked. "Any minute now. Why don't you take these two into the family room and I'll wake him up and then start breakfast." she replied.

Two hours later pancakes had been made and eaten, the twins and Abel were watching cartoons and playing as Lexi and I sat on the back deck. I approached the subject of a pool party and cookout. She was all for it. It was nice to see that she and Gemma managed to mend some fences during the fourteen months I was away. Lexi said she would take care of the details while I was at Floyd's getting a haircut. I told her I would be back in a bit before heading out the door where I climbed on my Harley for the first time in over a year.

It felt good to cruise the streets of Charming again. I was stopped at a red light when David Hale pulled up next to me. Fucking asshole, I thought to myself. "Teller." he said. "Hale." I replied. "I hope you won't be headed back to lock up anytime soon. Lexi and those kids need you. Hope you have your shit together this time." he lectured me. "Don't worry about my family, Deputy Chief. They have exactly what they need and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." I replied as the light turned green and I made the right onto Main Street.

As I parked in front of Floyd's I noticed a new store had opened while I was away. Impeccable Smokes Cigar Shop. I saw an older man and a girl in her late teens / early twenties opening the store. Interesting addition to town. I'd have to ask Lexi about it since they were located directly across the street from Un-Southern.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

By the time I put the twins down for a nap at 2:00pm that afternoon I was convinced Jax was ready for a nap as well. He had been up early with Abel, went and got his hair cut and goatee trimmed before spending the afternoon in the pool with our twins, Abel, Opie and the Winston twins. Now I watched as Abel, Kenny and Ellie played on the pool steps while Jax, Opie and my Dad discussed what I'm sure was club business as they grabbed some cold beers from the cooler on the deck. Gemma, Sophie and I were lounging on chairs poolside, keeping an eye on the kids and talking about the upcoming Taste of Charming fundraiser that Gemma ran each year.

I couldn't help but think that this was how life is supposed to be. It's supposed to be normal. No shootings, murders, kidnappings and prison sentences. It's supposed to be about family and friends.

I caught Jax's eye and he nodded his head towards the kitchen. "I'll be right back." I told Gemma and Soph. "Mmmmhhhhmmm...I'm betting you won't be right back. Might take you a little bit to help Jax find whatever he just went inside to look for." Soph teased. I felt myself turning red as I got up from my chair, adjusting the top of my blue bikini before walking up the stairs to the deck.

I walked into the kitchen and didn't see Jax. I didn't want to risk waking the twins so I quietly walked down the hall towards my bedroom. I was right...Jax needed some time in bed but apparently, he wasn't in need of a nap. He was naked laying across our bed. I closed the door behind me and quickly removed my bathing suit, letting it fall to the floor. I walked over to the bed and crawled up next to Jax.

"I couldn't wait till they left later today. Lexi, I missed you so much and love you so much." he said as he propped himself up on one arm and proceeded to cover my mouth with his. He nipped my bottom lip with his teeth as two of his fingers entered me and went as deep as they could while his thumb teased my clit. "Already ready for me, baby?" he said, with that wolf-like grin I've come to love on his face.

"Holy shit Jax!" I called out, feeling the orgasm vibrate thru my entire body. It just kept getting better each time. He was over me, his lips and teeth playing with my nipples causing the orgasm to continue rolling. Just when I couldn't take it anymore he whispered "Look at me Lexi." I did as I was told and at that instant he pulled my hips towards him and I felt his rock-hard cock enter me. He pounded into me over and over again. God, it felt so good. I missed this so much, I thought to myself as I heard Jax call my name as we climaxed simultaneously.

"Sorry about the quickie, darlin' but I think Clay would have a heart attack if I kept you inside any longer." Jax said as I put my bathing suit back on. "You can grab me for a quickie whenever you want, darlin'." I replied, turning to wink at him but started crying instead.

When I turned all I saw before me was Jax Teller on one knee, holding up a ring box. I opened my mouth but he spoke the words I had been waiting to hear since I first saw him on my sixteenth birthday; "Lexi, this isn't the way that I planned to ask you. I wanted it to be romantic and sweet and everything you truly deserve. I planned on candlelight and champagne. I promise I will give you the wedding of your dreams to make up for proposing like this but I couldn't wait. Lexi, you captured my heart from the moment I saw you on the TM lot. When you first spoke, I was convinced you were an angel. But you're not an angel. You, my love, are my saving grace. You have gotten me through some of the lowest points I have ever endured. I've had this ring for over two years. I had it designed with you in mind. You are my love, my partner and my soulmate. You, Alexis Montgomery, are the woman I want to marry and spend the rest of my life with. I love you more than life itself. Will you marry me Lexi?"

I couldn't speak. I stood there with tears running down my face as I nodded my head and watched Jax slip the three-carat cushion-cut halo engagement ring featuring round brilliant pave diamonds set along the halo and in two rows down the distinctive curvy double shank platinum band. He slipped the ring on my finger and stood up. "Will you?" he asked again, gently wiping the tears from my face. "Yes. I love you Jackson Teller. Yes, I'll marry you!" I said, not truly believing it as he kissed me.

He took my hand and lead me down the hall. "Are you ready for this?" he asked. "Ready for what?" I asked, confused. "Ready for my Mother to try to take charge of the wedding planning? You know that is what will happen as soon as we tell her." Jax replied. "I can handle my own with Gemma. Plus Sophie and I have been planning our weddings since we were kids. I know exactly what I want." I said, smiling at Jax. "I'll give you whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy on our wedding day and then wherever you want to go for a honeymoon. I just want to make you happy Lexi. I know I haven't always done that. Jesus, and that's an understatement I know, but I will make it up to you for the rest of my life." he told me. He kissed me again leaving me breathless when he pulled away.

"I love you Jax. Let's go tell them." I said as we walked out to the deck. The four adults were all sitting on the edge of the pool watching the three kids play. Jax and I each grabbed a beer before we made it down to the pool. I couldn't keep the smile off my face and Jax couldn't keep his hands off me. I lifted the Bud Light bottle to my mouth with my left hand, standing directly across the pool from where Sophie was sitting. The light must have reflected off the diamond just right because Sophie screamed when she noticed the ring.

"Oh my God!" she screamed, getting up and running around the pool. I handed Jax the beer and held my left hand out in front of me so my best friend could inspect my stunning engagement ring. We both cried and laughed as we spun around circles in each other's arms before we noticed the others watching us.

"I'm happy for you Lexi-Kate. Your mother would be happy for you as well. I hope you know that. I wasn't sure what to say when Jax asked me yesterday for my blessing because I wasn't sure what you would say to him. All I want is for the two of you and my three Grandchildren to be happy. That's what I told him. He didn't need my blessing, he just needs to make you happy." my Dad said as he engulfed me in one of his bear hugs.

"Gemma?" I asked, noticing the tears forming in her eyes. "It's beautiful. You did a wonderful job Jackson, picking it out. I'm so damn happy for you both, just promise me you won't elope. Promise me that we will be there when you get married." she said. "Of course. There's no way I'm eloping. Not after all the shit we've gone through to get here." I replied.

I looked at Opie. "I've always thought of you as a little sister. Now you definitely are that. Congrats you two." the giant, who was a man of few words, said with a smile on his face.

"Now when can we start talking about details? Things like dresses, bridal party, location and all that good stuff?" Gemma asked, causing Jax and I both to cringe a little.

"Let us just enjoy being engaged for a bit." I said, wrapping my arms around Jax and raising my head to meet his as he bent down to kiss me.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought my SOA story needed at least one chapter at this point filled with happiness and no drama. It's short but a nice filler. Don't worry...the angst and turmoil is not over just yet for Lexi and Jax. There's still ups and downs to come. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you all again for the wonderful reviews!**


	26. A Proposal And A Wedding

**LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Seriously Soph, can you believe it? Gemma is dead set on Jax and I getting married in October! How am I supposed to plan a wedding with hundreds of guests in less than two months? It doesn't make any sense? And why the rush? It's not like I'm pregnant and Clay's holding a gun to Jax's head to make sure he goes thru with the wedding." I said to Sophie three days later as we sat in my office at Un-Southern before opening for the day.

"That does seem like it's some sort of unnecessary rush. You haven't even decided on a location yet, have you?" Sophie replied. "I was thinking of the Inn for the ceremony and the Grille and Wine Bar for the reception. There's great outdoor space for the ceremony at the Inn and we could hold cocktail hour on the outside deck of the Restaurant and then the reception inside. If we do it in October then I could do some really beautiful colors for the bridesmaid dresses along with the floral and décor. Different shades of purples, rose gold and greens. I just don't know if I love the thought of trying to pull it off in two months. We sat down last night and put together a preliminary guest list. Between my list and Jax's list, with all the SONS patches and their Old Ladies, we are looking at close to two hundred and fifty guests." I told Sophie.

"What's wrong Lexi? You went from extremely excited to hardly excited at all about getting married." Soph asked. I looked at her. "Oh. It's not the beach wedding you always envisioned. I forgot about that." she said answering her own question. "There's no way I can have a beach wedding with over one hundred and fifty bikers attending. We wouldn't be able to protect the club if we did that." I replied, hating the fact that I wasn't going to be able to have the wedding of my dreams. It would still be beautiful but it wouldn't be the wedding I had dreamed of as a little girl.

"I can get over it. I'm marrying the man I love...the Father of my children. I guess October won't be so bad. There's just a lot of work to do between now and then." I said, trying to convince myself.

"Yes, there is. Good thing we are both so organized!" Sophie replied as we got up to go open for the day.

 **OPIE'S P.O.V.**

"Lexi, are you sure about this? You really think I should take her to San Diego and you really don't mind watching Kenny and Ellie for the weekend?" I asked Lexi on Thursday afternoon when she stopped by the lot.

Before she could answer Jax walked over and within seconds had his tongue down her throat. I leaned back against the picnic table and lit a cigarette, watching as he lifted Lexi up. She automatically wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Take it inside. I don't need to see this shit." Clay said, walking over from the garage and taking a seat next to me.

Jax broke the kiss and whispered something to her. I saw her blush and nod. "Drop them off tomorrow morning, Opie. I'll drop them off at school on my way to work and Neeta will pick them up tomorrow afternoon. Everything is set for the weekend. Just have fun." she said as Jax nuzzled her neck, carrying her through the clubhouse door towards his dorm.

"Lexi and Jax watching the kids while you take Sophie out of town for the weekend?" Clay asked, lighting a cigar. "Yeah. We're leaving tomorrow morning. Should be back late Sunday." I said. As far as I knew no one, other than Lexi knew of my plans to propose to Sophie this weekend.

Two hours later I was working on a Jeep Wrangler when I saw Jax walk Lexi to her car. I turned and was focusing on the brake pads I was replacing when I heard Jax's voice.

"Don't you think you should ask for my blessing before you propose to my little sister this weekend? Can't believe I heard about it from my Old Lady and not from you." he said.

I rolled out from under the jeep and stood up. I looked at him, grinned and replied "Technically she's your half-sister. And I'm surprised you took your tongue out of Lexi's mouth to let her get a word in."

I didn't specifically ask Lexi to not mention it to Jax. In all reality I'm sure she thought I had already told him, but I hadn't said a word to him or anyone else, other than the kids. We spent more time at Sophie's house than at home, but they were still young so I wasn't sure how they would feel or what they would really understand at almost seven years old how this would change things for our family. I also wasn't 100% sure Soph was going to say yes. It's not like I had given her my crow yet. I would do that after I proposed, if she said yes.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (2 DAYS LATER)**

After a conversation with Clay and a little bit of begging I convinced my Mother and Clay to watch the five kids. Sophie and Opie hadn't been heard from since they left Charming at 8:00am yesterday morning. I wasn't planning on crashing Opie's proposal weekend but it was concerning that neither one of them had checked in.

"I'm sure everything is okay, Lexi." I tried to assure her as I pulled the Range Rover into a parking spot in front of the Inn at Un-Southern San Diego.

Without a word she got out of the car. I followed and grabbed our luggage from the back of the SUV. "Jax, I don't see Soph's car anywhere in the lot." she said, sliding her sunglasses onto the top of her head. I could see the concern and fear in her eyes. I knew her thoughts went back to the time the girls had been kidnapped.

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Montgomery." the bellman greeted Lexi as he took our luggage. "Thank you, Michael." Lexi said, flashing an absentminded smile as her eyes scanned the lobby. It truly was a beautiful lobby, I thought to myself as I looked around. It was even more elegant and beautiful than the Inn at Un-Southern Charming with its views of the ocean. As Lexi spoke with someone at the front desk about Sophie I walked over to the windows. It was there, looking out over the water, I realized I had never been with Lexi outside of Charming. Ireland didn't count due to the circumstances. I was going to have to figure out a way to do it more often...with her...and with the kids.

"So, apparently, they checked in yesterday afternoon and ordered room service last night for dinner and for breakfast this morning. They have dinner reservations at the Grille tonight at 8:00pm. Rumor has it the room service attendant noticed a sparkly ring on Soph's finger. I guess all is good and they weren't ready to let in the outside world just yet. Jax, we should go. Obviously, everyone overreacted and I don't want to intrude on their special weekend." she said. The relief I was feeling on the inside was evidently the way Lexi felt because it was written across her face.

"Let's stay in San Diego. We can stay here or get a room somewhere else if you don't want Soph & Ope to know we came looking for them." I said, kissing the top of her head and pulling her out to the deck off the lobby.

I had an idea. It was going to take a little convincing and require Sophie and Opie to come up for air, but it was a good idea. "Marry me." I said to her. "You already proposed to me a week ago, remember?" she replied. "Marry me. Here. This weekend. In San Diego. You & me with Sophie and Ope as our witnesses. Please Lexi. Marry me." I said as we listened to the sound of the ocean waves and took in the smell of the salt water.

Her eyes went wide. "Jax, we can't. We promised Gemma." she said softly, chewing on the bottom of her lip as she considered it. "We can still do the big wedding back home in October like Gemma wants. I know about your dream wedding Lexi. On the beach. Small and intimate. Sophie told me. I wasn't planning on doing it on such short notice, but babe, what better opportunity than right now?" I told her.

"There is no better opportunity." Sophie said coming up behind us holding Opie's hand. "Lex, you need to say yes. We can arrange it and have the wedding tonight at sunset. It's only 2:00pm now and that gives us until 7:30pm tonight. It can be done if it's just the four of us."

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"Before I even consider it let me see the bling!" I said to my best friend, my cousin, the woman who in a few hours would truly be my sister. She held out her hand and I felt my eyes fill with tears. The ring was unbelievably gorgeous. Set in a platinum band was a 2 carat round emerald flanked on either side by two diamonds that looked to be just under a carat each.

"Congratulations Sophie. I'm so happy for you." I told her hugging her. I turned and looked at Opie. "I couldn't have done it without your help." he said. After scooping me up into a big bear hug I tugged on his beard, the way Savannah has taken to tugging on Jax's goatee just as Ellie always has done since she was a baby. "I'm so happy for you. I've always wanted a big brother. You'll need to trim your beard for the wedding. It's a little out of control." I told him. "Who's wedding?" he replied. I looked at the two of them, both so happy and asked "You sure you don't mind if we turn your engagement weekend into our secret wedding weekend? Please tell us the truth." I finished, grabbing Jax's hand. "You insult me by even asking. You get to have your dream wedding with your dream man." Soph replied.

"Okay." Soph started. "The two of you need to go get cleaned up. I'll call over to the Salon and schedule two appointments for you both. You'll need a haircut Opie and both you and Jax will need a hot shave. Don't worry – they'll leave some scruff. The front desk has information on the tuxedo rental place we recommend. I'll have the concierge let them know you're on your way. You also need to pick out wedding bands Jax. We're going dress shopping right now. I'll take care of the flowers, ceremony music and officiant along with our appointments for hair and makeup. The Inn staff will set up an area below the deck on the beach. I'll see you both there at 7:20pm. Don't be late. Lexi will be walking down the aisle at 7:30pm. Try to stay out of trouble between now and then." she ordered with a twinkle in her eye.

"Just think, in a matter of hours you will be Mrs. Alexis Teller." Jax said, taking me into his arms and kissing me softly. "Enough of that! You'll have time for that later." Sophie yelled as she grabbed my hand and pulled me through the lobby and out the front door.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

At 7:15pm I stood with Opie and looked around in amazement. I knew I shouldn't be surprised but the beach had been swept clean and the aisle was lined with four clusters of three cylinder vases filled with pink gems and white floating candles with light pink rose petals spread between each cluster. The front of the ceremony was set with two large cylinders. Inside the base of each cylinder were pink delphinium orchids submerged in water. On the top of each cylinder sat floral arrangements made up of pink and white roses. To the side sat a string quartet playing background music.

I saw Sophie dash out, looking beautiful in a light gray strapless dress. She grinned at Opie and I as she fastened the boutonnieres on the left lapel of our tuxedo jackets. Our feet, like hers, were bare. I looked at Opie and laughed. "Never thought the day would come when I would see you in a monkey suit with a white rose pinned on it." I told him. "Just goes to show how much I love your bride." he replied.

Before another word could be said the music changed and Sophie started walking down the aisle towards us. In her hand was a bouquet of white roses. She looked beautiful. She winked at Opie and took her place on the other side of the aisle. I watched, waiting for Lexi to come around the corner and when she did I couldn't be more surprised.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

"I know it's short notice and I can't thank you enough for making the trip down. Thank you for keeping it quiet. I couldn't do it without you here. We'll do a big reception back home in October." I said to Gemma and my Dad. I couldn't believe Soph managed to talk Clay into a tuxedo. Gemma was in a black sleeveless dress with a white corsage on her wrist. My Dad had a white rose pinned to his tux.

"Thank you for calling us. There's nothing that could make me happier than walking you down the aisle on your wedding day." Clay said to me. "You look beautiful baby girl." Gemma told me as she quickly took a picture of Clay and I. I don't know how but Sophie and I had managed to find me a wedding dress that didn't need to be altered at all. It was a white one shoulder tulle ballerina length a-line dress with an asymmetrically gathered tulle neckline and overlay. There was intricate crystal beading on the left shoulder and on the lace that encircled my waist. The tulle skirt flared out over a fitted short underskirt. I felt beautiful. My makeup was light and natural and my curly hair partially pulled back from my face with a crystal clip.

"Ready?" Gemma asked as she took her place on my right side. She and Clay lightly grasped each elbow as the string quartet started playing "At Last" by Etta James. "More than ready. It's been a long time coming." I replied with a smile, as we turned the corner and walked down the aisle.


	27. A Runaway Bride?

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Life has just flown by the past couple of weeks. This chapter has good and bad in it. It's going to unfortunately lead to some more difficult times for Lexi and Jax. But let's face it...Sons of Anarchy wouldn't be the show we loved if it was always roses, rainbows and unicorns! As always, thanks for reading...thanks for the wonderful reviews. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I watched as Lexi was escorted down the aisle by my mother and her father. I couldn't take my eyes off Lexi. She looked more beautiful than I had ever seen. I don't know how Sophie pulled all of this off but I was going to have to remember to thank my sister for doing this.

Gemma kissed my cheek as Clay placed Lexi's left hand in mine. "I know I don't have to tell you to take care of her and be good to her because I know you love her. I know you've loved her since the day you met her. But, as her father I'm going to tell you to treat her the way she deserves to be and to always love her." he told me. "I will Clay." I promised, not taking my eyes off Lexi as she handed her bouquet of pink and white roses to Sophie and placed her other hand in mine.

"Hi." she said with a brilliant smile on her face as her blue eyes twinkled. "Lexi..." I started to whisper but I was speechless and couldn't get my thoughts together. "I know." she said, understanding. The officiant then started the ceremony but I didn't hear most of it because I was too lost in Lexi's eyes until it was time for our vows.

"Jax..." she started. "From the moment I first saw you, when I was sixteen, I think I knew you were destined to be mine. When I moved to Charming and saw you again I was determined to be yours forever. You gave me a family. You have supported my dreams and never tried to dissuade me from pursuing those dreams, even when they took me outside of Charming. You have protected me, time and time again, and have even rescued me a time or two. You are the man I will always fight for and protect as well. You are the man I hope our sons will grow up to be like...smart, caring, thoughtful, intuitive, passionate, driven and respectful to loved ones. You are the type of man I hope our daughter will find, many years down the road, to love her. You told me, when you proposed, that I was your saving grace. Well, my love, you are mine as well...my saving grace and my soulmate. I promise to love you Jackson, with my entire being, until the moment I take my last breath on this earth." she paused, her eyes shining with tears as she took the titanium wedding band from Sophie and slipped it onto my ring finger.

"Jackson Nathaniel Teller, with this ring I promise to love, respect and honor you for the rest of my life. I promise to not only make you happy but promise to remember always to show you how happy you make me. With this ring, I thee wed." she finished.

A lump formed in my throat as I listened to her trying to hold back tears. We had been through so much these past three and a half years. My tough guy biker image was about to crumble in the next thirty seconds.

"Lexi...love of my life. My angel. My saving grace. I promise to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you. I'll spend the rest of my time on this planet loving you, being your devoted husband and making you and our three beautiful children happy. I will continue to support your dreams and do everything in my power to help you obtain them. I promise to be the type of man you have always deserved...honest, faithful, loving and supportive." I brushed the tears off her face with my thumb before turning to Opie. I took Lexi's platinum and diamond wedding band from him.

"Alexis Kathryn Montgomery, with this ring I promise to love, respect and honor you for the rest of my life. With this ring I thee wed." I said, sliding the ring onto her finger. "Say it..." I heard Opie say from behind me.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

The tears filled my eyes as I listened to Jax say his vows. There was no describing how incredibly handsome he was at that moment, standing in front of me in his tuxedo. I heard Opie tell Jax to say something. I looked back up into his eyes and laughed as he added on to his vows saying "I promise to treat you as good as my leather and ride you as much as my Harley."

As soon as we were pronounced husband and wife Jax pulled me into his arms and kissed me. It was different than any other kiss we had ever shared. It was tender and full of love, meaning and promises. It was the first kiss from my husband.

After the officiant announced us as Jackson & Alexis Teller I turned to take my bouquet from Sophie and walk back up the aisle towards the Inn. As we turned, we heard cheers from the balcony above. "Holy shit, Jax! When did they all get here?" I asked. Standing on the Inn's deck, overlooking the beach and our wedding ceremony, was our SAMCRO family. I'm not sure if I was more shocked that they were really there or by the fact that they were there and I didn't know it until that very moment.

"You really didn't think SAMCRO Royalty could get married without SAMCRO present, did you?" Gemma asked as she and my Dad approached us to offer their congratulations. "Don't worry. They're not staying. Only Gemma and I are. Congratulations, Lexi-Kate." my Dad said, kissing me on my forehead. We were quickly surrounded by SMACRO. I was happy they were there but worried a little about what the guests at the Inn would think of this rambunctious group.

 **JAX'S P.O.V. (6 DAYS LATER)**

I sat in the Chapel with Clay, Tig and Chibs discussing club business on Friday morning. Lexi and I were scheduled to leave on Sunday for our honeymoon. We decided to charter a private yacht through the Caribbean and basically go island hopping for a week. Our meeting was just wrapping up when my Mother burst through the Chapel doors with Sophie and Opie right behind her.

"What's wrong?" Clay asked. "Lexi never made it to work today. She left the house after Neeta got there but when she didn't show up at Un-Southern by opening, I called Ope. He drove the route she normally takes from your house to work." Sophie's voice trailed off as Opie cut in. "Her SUV was sitting at the gas station just off Main Street. Keys were still in the ignition. Her purse and cell phone were left untouched in the passenger seat. It's as if she disappeared into thin air." Opie told as as he handed me Lexi's iPhone and her white Balenciaga tote.

I looked at them in disbelief. Why would anyone take Lexi? The club hadn't pissed anyone off lately. It was if a truce had been called between us, the Mayans and the Niners. I felt the fear, anger and hatred roll through my body. I looked at Clay and knew he was feeling the same.

"The kids need to be protected while we figure out what's going on. Send Rat and Filthy Phil to watch them at the house." I heard Clay say to Chibs. "Tig get everyone here now. Emergency Church meeting. And reach out to Alvarez and Laroy. Find out if they have any fucking idea where my daughter is!" he roared. "Gem, close the garage. Send the mechanics home. No one but patches on TM property for the time being. Sophie, it might be better if you head back to work. I'll have Miles go with you. He'll take you to pick Ellie and Kenny up after school and bring them to Jax's house." Clay said, softly but in a tone none of us dared to argue with.

The room emptied leaving Clay and I alone. "We'll find her Jax, I promise. But I have to ask. Is there any reason she would have left you and the kids? Everything good on the newlywed home front?" he asked. "How can you even ask me that? You know Lexi and the kids are everything to me. I would die for my family. Who the fuck dared to take my wife? That's the only way she would ever leave...if it was against her will. She's not a fucking runaway bride!" I yelled.

Sitting at the table, during the emergency Church meeting, I tried to pay attention to the voices and conversations going on around me as my brothers attempted to figure out who had taken my wife. I just wanted my Old Lady home. I had already gone through a pack of cigarettes while this goddamn meeting was taking place. I really needed a drink but Chibs thought it was best I remain clearheaded and swiped the bottle of Jameson out of my hands when I grabbed it from the bar. He was right. I needed to focus on finding Lexi.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I can't move and every inch of my body hurts, I thought to myself as I regained consciousness. I lifted my head and that's when I realized I had been handcuffed to some sort of fence. I was in a dimly lit empty warehouse of some sort. It had a musty, moldy odor. I could hear voices coming from somewhere behind me as I tried to slide my hands out of the restraints.

The last thing I remembered was stopping for gas at the station off Main Street. There was a blonde girl begging for help over by a gold minivan. She said her baby was choking and needed help. Her screams reached me as I was just about to get back into my car and continue on to work. She ran over and said "Help! Please! Oh, God, help me, please! Please, my baby swallowed something. He's choking. Please help me." Oh no, I thought to myself...I wasn't going to let a baby die. "All right. What did he swallow?" I asked as I got out of my Range Rover. "A bottle cap or something." she replied. I ran over and when I looked inside the back of the minivan there was no carseat and no baby. Before I could turn around to confront her I was hit over the head from behind.

"She's awake." a male voice said from behind me. I heard footsteps close the gap and before I knew it there were three masked men standing in front of me. They were wearing a creepy type of Michael Meyers mask. I visibly cringed as they approached.

"Do you have any idea who I am? Who my husband and father are? They're going to kill you for this." I said, hoping to scare them into letting me go. "We know exactly who you are. Alexis Teller...wife of Jax Teller...daughter of Clay Morrow. The SAMCRO Princess. We need you to deliver a message to the club." one of the men told me.

"I don't have anything to do with club business. You should deliver your message to Jax and Clay directly when you beg them not to kill you for kidnapping me. Everyone knows how much I love Jax and they'll never believe I'm a runaway bride. I'm sure SAMCRO is looking for me right now. You're so fucked. You're nothing but a dumb asshole." I replied angrily.

"Fucking bitch. Shut your mouth." one of the others said as he hit me on the right side of my face. I tasted blood immediately when my lip split.

"You are going to deliver the message to SAMCRO after we teach you a lesson. You're going to be the message. They'll see what happens when they done take our warning seriously and continue to sell guns to black and brown. I need you to pass on a message to your old man and your father. Tell them to stop selling guns to niggers and wetbacks or we find you and we do this again. That shit is going to stop now." the one who was obviously in charge told me.

"What kind of message am I going to be? Going to beat a woman to a bloody pulp? Oh yeah...shows exactly what kind of man you really are. Only a pussy would resort to beating a woman to deliver a message." I said, bracing myself for the next blow that was sure to come. I couldn't help myself. I was angry and scared. I wanted my husband and my kids. I wanted my Dad. I wanted Jax and Clay to come rescue me.

"Oh no. We're going to do more than leave some bruises on you. We're going to have some fun with you, before we send you back to SAMCRO." he replied, leaning in close enough that I could smell the alcohol mixed with cigars on his breath. When he ran his hand under my dress and up my thigh, I realized for the first time that I was about to be raped.


	28. Death

**A/N: WARNING - ADULT CONTACT...DIFFICULT AND GRAPHIC SITUATION.**

* * *

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I struggled against my restraints, hoping to miraculously break free as one of my assailants continued to run his hand up my thigh. I couldn't help but notice the more I struggled, cried and begged the more turned on he became. His laugh sounded eerily threatening and his dark eyes gleamed with sick excitement. His right hand made its way to my lace thong and I cringed in pain as it was ripped off me.

He grinned as he held up his souvenir, closed his eyes in pleasure as he sniffed my thong before slipping the white lace fabric into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a knife and laughed again as I pleaded with him to let me go. He held the knife up to my neck, its tip placed against my skin as he lightly dragged it from the base of my neck to the V of the fabric of my turquoise colored silk dress. He sliced open the front of my dress and as the fabric fell to the side one of his friends ripped it off of me, leaving me in only my white lace bra and my white stiletto sandals.

The man in charge took his knife again and ran it upwards from my naval to the valley of my cleavage. I felt something die in me at that point. There would be no escaping. This fucker would pay for what he was about to do to me. That I was sure of. The only question was who would make him pay. Would it be my Old Man or my Dad? He noticed the change in my eyes and my demeanor as he used the knife to slice open the front of my bra. He drew blood between my breasts and took his finger, tracing the dripping blood, down the same path down on my body his knife had taken moments before. He then cut the straps of the bra and tossed the shredded La Perla lace bra to his friend, who then put it in his pocket.

I glanced at the third assailant, who seemed to be invisible to the other two at that moment. I silently pleaded with him to help me when I felt the pain for the first time. The man in charge, the one with the horrible breath and the "I KILL NIGGERS" tattoo prominently displayed across his chest, after he removed his white wife-beater, had penetrated me with three of his fingers abruptly and forcefully. I cried out in pain and couldn't hold back the tears as I watched him lick the taste of me from his fingers. He closed his eyes for a moment before unzipping his pants, his jeans and boxers fall to the floor.

"Ready for your first gang-bang, Princess? We're going to show you what it's like to be fucked by real men and not biker boys." he said, elbowing his friend and laughing as I once again began struggling against the restraints.

As he moved forward, I'm sure to force himself on me, he froze as he heard the sound of a safety unlock on a gun. "What the fuck? You'll have your turn." he yelled to the third masked man. "We don't rape women. That's not what our cause is about. You've scared her, beaten her and cut her. She'll deliver our message. Get her down, knock her out and let's get the fuck out of here before anyone finds us." a familiar voice ordered. A voice I had heard before, but couldn't place.

"Fuck you. I'm getting a piece of her and then we'll leave." he replied as he proceeded to push up against me. My mind went blank and I yelled out in agony as I felt him enter me forcefully, his pants still down around his ankles. His mouth dropped to my right breast, where he bit me so hard blood was drawn. He rammed into me over and over as I screamed, begging him to stop. His number two was cheering him on the entire time, saying he was ready to tag in at any time.

That's when the gunshot rang out. Blood splattered everywhere, including on me and onto my rapist. The man with the gun shot the second assailant in the back of the head. The one raping me stopped mid-thrust and was furious as he turned around.

"Don't make me repeat myself or kill you. Get her down now." the familiar voice said again. "I'll be coming back for you." my rapist promised, menacingly, as I was uncuffed. A cloth was then stuck over my nose and mouth. That's the last thing I saw before my world went dark.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

It had now been almost ten hours since Lexi had last been seen. We didn't have any leads as to her whereabouts. Tig had reached out to the Mayans, the Niners, the Calaveras and the Grim Bastards. No one, not Alvarez or Laroy or Salazar or Cross, was owning up to knowing anything. I was going out of my mind and knew Clay was not doing much better.

I was sitting up on the roof of the clubhouse, preparing to drown my sorrows and my worries in the bottle of Jack I managed to swipe from the bar, when I saw David Hale's jeep pull into the lot. My blood went cold. My heart started racing. Had someone found Lexi?

"No!" I heard Clay scream, moments later in anguish, from down below. "Jax! We need you down here now!" Chibs called up in a solemn voice. I got up and climbed down the ladder. "What is it?" I asked, bracing myself for the worst news imaginable, when I walked into the main room.

"We got a call. Police in Lodi found a woman beaten to death and left on the side of the road. She is petite and a redhead. Her description is similar to Lexi's. Where is your wife, Jax? I went by Un-Southern and your house. I can't find Lexi. Is she here, Teller?"" Hale asked me.

My legs gave out as I stumbled over to a table. It couldn't be, I thought to myself. Please God, not Lexi, I prayed as I heard Opie tell Hale that Lexi had been missing since that morning.

"Fuck. Why didn't you contact Charming PD? Lodi police are still with the body out on Route 99. I'm going to need someone to come with me to make a positive identification." Hale replied. He glared at me. If it was Lexi's body that had been found I knew he would hold me responsible for her death. For not protecting her. For all the reasons I would hold myself accountable.

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

"I'll go with you." I heard myself say to the Deputy Chief. Gemma and I returned to the clubhouse moments before, after leaving the five kids with Neeta, Miles, Rat and Phil. "Sophie, no. You shouldn't have to see that, just in case..." Opie's voice trailed off, not being able to finish what we were all thinking. He wrapped his arms around me as the tears began to silently stream down my face.

"It's not her Opie. It can't be. I would feel it. I would know somehow if it was her. I truly believe she's alive." I said, praying I wasn't lying to him...to myself...to our family.

"No. I'm going. Sophie, I appreciate it but Opie's right. You shouldn't have to go in case it is Lexi. More than anything right now I need you to go back to my house and stay with the kids. I'm sure Neeta could use the break and I want you there in case any of them wake up." my brother told me as he got up from the table he was sitting at.

"Let's go Hale. I'll follow you." Jax said, walking out the door and onto the lot.

"I have to go with him. Soph, go to his house. I'll come by as soon as we get back from Lodi and let you know what's going on. I love you." Opie said, giving me a quick kiss and running out the door with Chibs and Tig behind him.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

I could see the flashing lights from the police cars and the coroners van up ahead as I pulled to a stop behind Hale's jeep. I shut my bike off, removed my helmet and lit a cigarette. Opie, Chibs, Tig and I sat in silence as Hale spoke with the Sargent from Lodi PD.

We stood as Hale approached us. "Jax, this isn't going to be easy. From what I have been told, the body was beaten pretty badly to the point where her face is swollen and unrecognizable. Her head has also been shaved. When you're ready they'll pull back the tarp." Hale said, as we stood looking down at the blue tarp.

Hale was on my left and my brothers on my right. I nodded. I couldn't speak. My heart was pounding and I could feel sweat pouring down my forehead. I watched as the tarp was pulled back and a hairless bald head and an unrecognizable face was all we could see. "Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Who would beat a woman like that?" Chibs asked softly.

"I can't tell if it's her. I don't recognize the clothes. Roll up her right sleeve. If my crow isn't there then it's not her." I said to the coroner who was crouched down next to the body. We all held our breath as the sleeve of the black dress was rolled up.

I turned away as soon as I saw the wrist. I didn't say a word. I couldn't say anything. What I was feeling was impossible to convey to anyone at that moment. I had seen so much death over the years. It seemed to follow me and the club no matter where we went or what we did. It followed us no matter how hard Clay and I tried to keep the peace with the other MC's and the gangs. It was never-ending.

I got on my bike and sped back towards Charming. I was angry and on the verge of spiraling out of control. I was going to do something stupid. If I wasn't careful I'd end up getting locked up again. I wasn't going to let that happen, but I was going to kill whoever had taken my Old Lady from me and my kids twelve hours ago.

 **OPIE'S P.O.V.**

"Go after him. Watch him and let me know where he goes. I'll finish up here." I told Chibs and Tig as we heard Jax's Harley roar to life. I looked over at Hale as I lit a smoke.

"The body will need to be taken back to Charming." I said quietly. "I've reached out to the Medical Examiner at St. Thomas. They're on the way now. They'll take her back to the morgue and do the autopsy. I'm going to have to bring in the San Joaquin's Sherriff on this Opie. It is obviously a message of some sort to the club and it's the dead body of someone who lives in Charming." he replied.

"Yeah, I know. I honestly don't have a clue what it means or who sent it." I told him as we looked down over a body so mangled that it could only be identified by the tattoo on the right wrist. A tattoo that was not done by Happy but was a botched version of Lexi's on the right wrist. A tattoo that did not have the Celtic Knot woven through the crow. A tattoo that I was pretty certain was on the wrist of a woman who once thought she would end up spending the rest of her life with Jax Teller.


	29. I Can t Do This Alone

**A/N: There was a review asking me how old Jax was in this story. Since I imagine this story began in Season 1 of SOA that would put Jax at 30. He is 7 years older than Lexi. By this chapter the story has spanned over three years. I hope you enjoy. Thanks as always for the great reviews.**

* * *

 **SOPHIE'S P.O.V.**

It had been just over thirty-six hours since Lexi had last been seen when I stood in the doorway of the clubhouse, watching Jax pace the length of the TM lot. My brother reminded me of a caged animal. The look of fury, pain and worry on his face concerned me. We were all worried and being on lockdown was causing some to think the worst possible scenario. Many believe it was most likely just a matter of time before Hale or Unser showed up at TM to let us know Lexi's body been found.

Neither the Club or Charming PD were any closer to finding her. It seemed that she had just vanished into thin air. Whoever grabbed her must have been watching her for a while. With the amount of enemies the Club had it could be absolutely anyone. All Unser or Hale would tell the Club was the dead body was in fact Ima. Unser thought he had managed to convince Hale to not contact the Sheriff's office but by 10:00am this morning Lieutenant Eli Roosevelt with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department, had marched into Unser's office, relieved him of his post as Police Chief forcing him into retirement before announcing Charming PD was now under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Department. Within hours each member of SAMCRO had been summoned down to the station to be questioned in regards to Ima's death and Lexi's disappearance.

"How is he?" I asked Opie when I sat next to him at the picnic table. "He's freaking out. He's ready to kill someone. I can't imagine what he's going through. How are you doing? You didn't sleep at all last night. You must be exhausted. Why don't you try to get some sleep now that all the kids are in bed?" he replied as he wrapped his arms around me.

Before I could answer my cell phone rang. I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and pulled it out. I looked at the Caller ID. It was a blocked number. "Put it on speaker." Opie instructed when he saw the Caller ID before yelling for Jax.

"Hello?" I answered. "You have a package at Un-Southern. You should probably get there soon. Before it's too late." an unfamiliar female voice said. Before I could ask a question or another word could be said the line went dead.

"It has to be Lexi! I need to go get her." I said as I ran back into the main room of the clubhouse in search of my keys. Jax and Opie followed behind me trying to convince me to stay at the clubhouse while they went down to find out if the "package" was Lexi. An argument ensued between the three of us bringing Gemma and Clay out of the Chapel. "What the fuck is all the yelling for? You have five kids sleeping down the hall." Gemma said angrily.

Opie filled them in as I grabbed my keys and wallet. "I'm going. I was called for a reason. You can't stop me." I told them.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Fine, but we all go together. Ma, will you stay with the kids please? Clay, you should probably stay. I'll call you as soon as we know something." I said, knowing he wouldn't stay behind, but if it was my Old Lady and she was hurt I was worried that Clay would lose his shit and possibly have a heart attack.

"I'm going." Clay replied, kissing my Mother goodbye and walking out the door ahead of us. My brothers followed him with the exception of Donut, Lorca and Quinn along with some of the prospects who were in charge of guarding the lot and clubhouse that was filled with friends and family until we got back.

It was dark as we drove thru the streets of Charming. Main Street was almost deserted as we came to a stop in front of Un-Southern. Sophie jumped out of her silver Mercedes SUV and ran up the steps towards the front door of the building shouting Lexi's name.

"Shit. I told her to wait in the car until we had a chance to check it out." Opie said as we ran after her. We made it to the entrance just as Sophie was unlocking the door, the rest of SAMCRO behind us.

"Lexi! Lexi!" she called running into the boutique. "There's no one in here. I thought she would be here. What if it's a trap? What if it's some sort of set-up to get all of you here?" she said with tears in her eyes.

"Jax, there's no one in the Café or upstairs in the Salon. Want us to check the office?" Miles asked moments later as he and Rat walked down from the second floor.

"No. Take everyone and head outside. Wait for me there. I'll check out the third floor." I instructed. One by one they headed outside leaving Sophie, Opie, Clay and I in the foyer of the building. "Jax, I was called for a reason. Maybe I should be the one to go up to the office." my sister said to me. She looked so fragile at that moment...she reminded me of Lexi in so many ways and I knew that she was going to make my best friend's life extremely interesting. She already made him happier than I had ever seen him and for that I would be forever grateful. And because of that and because of the fear of what may be waiting for us on the third floor I couldn't let her go up those stairs by herself.

"We'll go together. But Sophie, whatever is waiting for us...whoever is waiting for us...could be a threat. You need to promise me that you will stay behind me. Please don't fight me on this. I don't have the energy to argue with you." I said, my eyes pleading with her.

She nodded and fell into step behind me as we made the climb to the third floor. All three office doors were closed, but light was visible from below Lexi's door. I looked at Sophie and then over her shoulder where Opie and Clay stood at the top of the stairs.

I pulled my Glock 17 from the holster under my kutte and noticed Opie do the same. Clay held his Heckler & Koch USP in his hand. Sophie moved to the side to give the three of us access to the office. I slowly turned the doorknob and felt my heart break when I saw the inside of the office.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I could barely hold my head up as I sat tied with a rope to my office chair. I was naked under the blanket that I had been covered with. I couldn't help but cringe in fear as I heard the door open. I thought HE was coming back for me. When I woke up, after being knocked out with chloroform at the warehouse, I had been left alone in my office. I was pretty sure they moved me to Un-Southern after it closed for business today. I had lost track of time. I had been alone for at least a couple of hours.

My face hurt. I could feel the swelling and could still taste the dried blood that made its way from my cheekbone to my mouth. My head hurt. My sides hurt...my entire body ached from the beating I had received as the message for SAMCRO.

I heard Jax's voice and thought I was imagining it. "Oh my God. Lexi, baby look at me." he whispered, tilting my head towards him. He was my saving grace, just as I professed in my wedding vows, but he may also be the devil that would be my complete undoing.

I felt my hands being cut free from the rope behind my back and looked past Jax to see Sophie and Opie looking at me. Soph was crying. Opie looked angry. "Lexi-Kate." I heard my Dad say as he knelt down in front of me. "I need clothes." I whispered. "I'll run downstairs and grab something." Sophie said.

"Baby, who did this to you? Who took you?" Jax asked me. "I don't know. Jax, I hurt so much. I need you to take me to St. Thomas. Please, Jax." I begged, crying. I wasn't ready to talk about what happened but knew I needed to get to the hospital. ¨I´ll call for an ambulance.¨ Opie said, walking out of the room.

Jax gently lifted me out of the chair when Sophie returned with clothes. He dressed me, his eyes gleaming with anger as he took in every bruise...every abrasion on my body. He was going to kill someone for this. There was no doubt.

Jax carried me down the stairs and outside. The looks on the faces of Jax's brothers, my SAMCRO family, told me how bad I must look. None of them, even Miles who I had become extremely close to over the years, could look me in the eye.

Jax placed me on the stretcher and the EMT´s loaded me into the back of the ambulance. I knew everyone would be escorting the ambulance to St. Thomas. I closed my eyes and didn´t open them, or say a word to the Paramedic, during the ride. I'm not sure why but everything in my world once again went dark before I made it to St. Thomas.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

Once again the waiting room at St. Thomas was filled with members of SAMCRO. It had been almost two hours since we arrived with Lexi and no one would give me any fucking answers. I couldn't handle this. I need to see my wife. I need to know that she is okay. She looked so broken when I saw her sitting there in her office.

"Jackson, she's going to be okay. Lexi is strong. You need to believe that." my Mother said from where she sat next to Clay. "You didn't see her. There was dried blood all over her face. Her arm was twisted in some weird position. And the cuts and bruises that covered her body..." my voice gave out as a lump formed in my throat. Remembering the hideous marks that covered her beautiful, flawless ivory skin. The welts, bruises and cuts. Someone was going to pay.

"Do we know anything? Anything new? Any idea who would do this? Who did we piss off lately?" I asked Clay. I don't think he heard me tho. I'm sure he held both of us responsible for what had happened to Lexi. I don't think he recovered from seeing her so battered. I watched, in silence, as Clay got up from his chair and walked over to the Nurse´s Station.

¨What the fuck is going on? We´ve been here for two hours! I want to see Dr. Bentley or Dr. Knowles now! I want to talk to someone who can give me some fucking answers!¨ he roared at the nurse who visibly recoiled in fear at the angry man towering over her.

I watched as my Mother got up from her chair, walked over to where Clay stood and wrapped an arm around his waist. She placed her hand over his heart, whispered a few words to him and lead him back to the seat he had vacated minutes before. He covered his face with his hands and we watched as his body shook, the silent sobs causing his entire body to convulse in spasms.

¨It´s been too long Opie. We should have heard something by now." I heard my sister say. I looked up to see Ope take hold of Sophie´s hand. ¨I know baby. Lexi is tough. I am sure we will hear something soon.¨ he replied.

As if God had heard his command the doors to the waiting room opened and Dr. Bentley walked out followed by Tara. ¨Mr. Teller. Lexi is in the ICU. She is stable but my recommendation is to keep her in there for a few days while I run some additional tests. Maybe we should go into the conference room and talk in private.¨ Dr. Bentley said.

¨No damnit! We are all her family. You know how this works. This isn´t the first time she has been here while all of us sit worrying in this Goddamn waiting room. Tell us!¨ my Mother demanded. Gemma was exhausted and stressed and worried. The fear we all felt was written across her face.

¨Go ahead Doc. Just let us know what is going on with my wife.¨ I said. ¨Jax. I think it would be something better discussed in private.¨ Tara interrupted. ¨No one asked for your opinion Tara. Dr. Bentley, you heard my Son. What is going on with Lexi?¨ Gemma demanded to know again.

Dr. Bentley sighed and ran a head through his dark hair before he reluctantly began to update us. ¨Mr. Teller. Your wife, Lexi, she was the victim of a brutal assault. Some of the dried blood on her was not hers. It is possible that one of her attackers is in need of medical attention as well. However, with that being said, Lexi has three broken ribs, a broken right wrist, a number of bruises and contusions. I did have to stitch her up from the gashes between her breasts as well as to her lower abdomen. I would be willing to guess that she was slashed with a large knife, one that could be used to carve a turkey. Lexi lost consciousness shortly after arriving at St. Thomas as a result of a head wound she sustained at some point from being hit over the head with a blunt object. She couldn´t answer questions but there were indicators that she may have been victim of a sexual assault as well. She is currently sedated but the Sheriff has placed a guard outside of her room and is waiting to be notified as to when he can question her.¨

¨What? Are you saying my wife was...she was...that someone raped her?¨ I asked, unable to believe it. How could this have happened? Oh my God...Lexi...what kind of hell had she been through I wondered as I heard Sophie and Gemma start to cry.

¨It looks that way. I am so sorry Jax.¨ Tara said. ¨I need to see her. I need to be there when she wakes up.¨ I said. ¨I am sorry Mr. Teller but I am under strict orders to keep everyone out of Lexi´s room, including you.¨ Dr. Bentley replied.

¨Orders from who?¨ Clay demanded to know. ¨Orders from me.¨ Sheriff Eli Roosevelt said as he entered the waiting room. ¨You have no right to keep me away from my wife. No cause to keep Clay away from his daughter. To keep Sophie away from her cousin.¨ I replied.

¨Until she wakes up and can identify the person or persons who kidnapped and attacked her, Lexi is under the protection of the San Joaquin Sheriff´s Office. She is under my protection. There will be a guard outside her door 24 / 7. Obviously, it was some kind of message for your Club. I don´t see anyone in this area going after the Un-Southern Princess for any reason other than the fact that she is linked to your Club as the SAMCRO Princess. Anything you want to share with me as to who may have done this to her?¨ Roosevelt replied.

Other than our close relationship with the now retired Police Chief of Charming, SAMCRO never had a good relationship with law enforcement. I wasn´t going to change that now. Whoever had done this to my wife was going to meet Mr. Mayhem. The persons responsible would die at the hand of the Club, at my hand, and I wasn´t going to give the angry Sheriff Roosevelt any information that would prevent me from taking revenge on our enemy.

¨Nothing to share. We have been in the dark just as much as you have been.¨ I replied. ¨Look Jax, we want to find out who did this to your wife. We want to make sure the responsible party is brought to justice. The right kind of justice. SAMCRO needs to back off and let us do our job. If you agree to that I will let Ms. Buchanan sit with her cousin, who I understand is also her sister-in-law. You redneck bikers definitely have some fucked up six degrees of separation shit going on here.¨ Roosevelt said.

¨Soph, go sit with Lexi. Keep Opie updated." I said before turning and walking out of the hospital. I leaned against my bike and lit a smoke. Fuck, I thought to myself.

My brothers stood in a semi-circle around me. ¨VP, what do you want to do here?¨ Clay asked. ¨Miles, I want you to stay here. Watch over Sophie. They won´t let you in Lexi´s room but I want updates as to who goes in and out of that room. Anything looks suspicious you call us right away. Anyone rubs you the wrong way beat the ever-living fuck out of them and then call us. For the rest of you, I can´t do this alone. I need you all with me in order to find out who is responsible for doing this to my Old Lady.¨ I said, tossing the cigarette to the ground before hopping on my Harley and heading back towards TM.

 **CLAY´S P.O.V.**

The thoughts running through my head didn´t make for an easy ride back to TM. Were Jax and I at fault for what had happened to Lexi? I should have listened to Lori´s letter and found a way to keep Lexi away from the Club...away from Jax and I. I should have fought harder.

I turned into the lot and parked my Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide with a twin cam 96 pushrod v-twin engine. Jax backed his bike into the spot next to me as a silver Mercedes sedan pulled into the lot.

¨What the hell is this?¨ I asked Tig as we walked towards the car. ¨Garage is closed.¨ I said as four men got out of the car. ¨We´re not here for car repairs. I understand you´re a Camacho fan.¨ a well-dressed man said handing me a box of cigars.

I ignored the box. ¨Who are you?¨ I asked. The driver of the car, dressed in a white short sleeve button down shirt and black pants, held out a business card and said ¨Just dropping by to give you a little friendly advice." ¨And what advice would that be?¨ I asked as the rest of my Club closed ranks behind me.

The man-in-charge, the one in the expensive suit responded; ¨We feel it would be best for all concerned if you stopped dealing arms to the One-Niners and the Mayans.¨

I looked at Tig and laughed. The rest of the guys laughed as well. ¨I don´t even know what you´re talking about. We´re just mechanics and Harley lovers.¨ I told him.

¨That´s one of Darby´s guys back there.¨ Tig said, leaning over towards me and pointing in the direction of one of Darby´s skinheads. ¨Mr. Darby is one of our supporters.¨ the suit replied. ¨Mmm. Expensive car. Hell of a suit. All your teeth. Must be top of the Aryan food chain, huh?¨ I said as I walked in a circle around the asshole.

¨What you do for a living is between you and your maker. I´m not here to adjust your moral compass. This is just a reality check. You´re a criminal and you´re done selling guns to color.¨ the suit said.

It was quiet for ten seconds before the sound of the safety being unlocked from Tig´s gun was heard. ¨Are you going to shoot me, Mr. Trager? With all these witnesses?¨ the suit asked.

I sighed. This might have been a fun go-around any other night, but not tonight. Not with Lexi´s assailants still out there. ¨Look. I don´t know what Darby told ya, and, uh, I don´t know what your angle is but let me be real clear. Nobody threatens SAMCRO. And nobody tells us what we can and can´t do. Black, brown or white. So why don´t you just climb back into your little German clown car, and drive back to Nazi town? Cause the next time you piss all over my shoes, he will kill you. And I don´t give a shit how many witnesses there are.¨ I told him.

The suit smirked. ¨My shop opens in a few weeks. Until then...enjoy.¨ he said placing the box of cigars at my feet.

¨I wanna know everything.¨ I said to Juice, handing him the business card. ¨You got it.¨ he said, heading towards the clubhouse to start his research.

¨Oh, and Mr. Teller. I heard something horrible happened to your wife recently. Sad that such a beautiful young business-woman was so violently assaulted in this community. Guess that´s what happens tho when you´re married to a criminal.¨ the suit said as he got into the car.

¨What the fuck!?¨ Jax exclaimed. ¨How the fuck did he know about Lexi? Who the hell is he?¨ Gemma asked. ¨Friend of Darby´s. We´re on it and if there is any connection between them and what happened to Lexi we´ll handle it. Looks like we´re heading to the Hairy Dog for a game of pool and some beers.¨ I said as I got back on my bike. Someone was going to pay for what happened to my daughter; and if it was this Zobelle guy and his crew the shit in Charming was really going to hit the fan.


	30. Where Do We Go From Here?

**LEXI´S P.O.V.**

I could hear the voices carrying on conversations around me. I could hear the voices of doctors and nurses...of voices I didn´t recognize...the voice of my best friend. Sophie must be on the phone because I couldn´t hear anyone respond to her. I didn´t know why I wasn´t hearing the voices of my husband, my father or Gemma. I guess it´s time to let Soph know I am conscious, I thought to myself with a sigh as I opened my eyes.

¨Soph...¨ my dry voice called out. It hurt to talk. I saw her turn in my direction. ¨Tell Jax she´s awake. I´ll call you back in a few.¨ she said, ending the call. ¨Lexi...God, we´ve been so worried. How do you feel?¨ she asked. I didn´t say a word as I looked at her. She knew...I could see the pity in her eyes. ¨How long have I been here?¨ I asked, not answering her question. ¨Almost two full days. It´s Monday afternoon.¨ she replied, looking at me warily.

¨Where´s Jax?" I asked, wondering if he would ever want to touch me again after knowing what had happened. ¨The Sheriff has banned everyone associated with the club, other than me, from your hospital room.¨ she replied before explaining what Eli Roosevelt had told the club when I had been brought to St. Thomas.

I tried to sit up but the cast combined with the pain radiating through my entire body didn´t make it easy. Sophie helped me into a sitting position and once I was settled she handed me a cup of water. ¨What´s the damage?" I asked. I listened as she told me I had a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken right wrist. I also had multiple places on my body that were stitched up due to where I had been cut with my assailant´s knife. It was then that Tara and Dr. Bentley entered the room. ¨Soph, give me a couple of minutes with them. Please call Tommy and ask him to come down as soon as possible.¨ I said, knowing I had more to discuss with the two doctors and I wasn´t ready for it to be public knowledge.

After being examined Dr. Bentley left me alone with Tara. She explained that antibiotics were being administered thru my IV to help fight off the risk of an STD. They had rushed the results and it came back clean...no STD´s and the HIV test came back negative as well. I had also been given a morning after pill to fight off the chance of pregnancy. ¨I couldn´t be pregnant. He never finished. One of the guys with him shot the other guy before he finished.¨ I said. My voice didn´t sound like my own. It sounded dull and lifeless. I saw in Tara´s eyes that she noticed the difference in my voice.

Sophie came back a few minutes later. ¨Tommy will be here in a half hour. Jax, Clay and Opie are in the waiting room. They still can´t get past the cop outside your door. Lex, the cop knows you´re awake and has contacted Sheriff Roosevelt. He is on his way to take your statement.¨ she told me. She didn´t have to say anything more. I knew the message she was trying to deliver without actually saying the words. This would be handled internally by the club.

¨Soph, I need you to do me a favor. Go to my house and get me some clothes. I´m not asking you to break me out of here but I´m not staying in the hospital another night under the watchful eye of the San Joaquin Sheriff´s Office. I´m going to get my babies and then I am leaving Charming for a while. I need to get away from the club and the stench it seems to constantly inflict onto my life.¨ I told her. I expected a fight, an argument from her because I knew this would test her loyalties. Surprisingly all I got in return was a nod and a sad smile. I knew she understood and hoped that she would hold off on saying anything to Opie and Jax for a little while.

 **SOPHIE´S P.O.V.**

I held it together until I walked out of Lexi´s hospital room. I wasn´t surprised that she wanted to leave Charming but I knew Jax wouldn´t let her go without a fight. I also knew there was no way in hell he would let his kids leave Charming. His kids, all three of them, are the next generation of SAMCRO...one way or another.

I looked down at the engagement ring on my left hand and the crow, Opie´s crow, on my left wrist and wondered, for the first time in my life, if I could really stand by Lexi´s side while she did this. Would I betray Lexi and choose the side of my husband-to-be...of my Old Man...of my family or the woman who I always considered to be my sister?

Once I managed to take control of my emotions I headed out to the waiting room. A waiting room that was once again filled with SAMCRO. I walked over to Jax. ¨She asked me to go get some things from your house for her. Tommy will be here shortly. He will be in the room with her when she gives her statement to the cops.¨ I told my brother, not quite being able to look him in the eyes. I was well aware that he and Opie knew I was hiding something.

¨I´ll take you." Opie said. ¨No, stay with Jax. You can have Phil or Rat come with me.¨ I replied. ¨They will both go with you. You go straight there and come back. No stops anywhere along the way.¨ Opie instructed. Shit, Lexi...where do we go from here I wondered to myself as I made the drive across town.

 **JAX´S P.O.V.**

¨They´re hiding something. I don´t know what it is but Lexi is up to something and she´s involving your Old Lady.¨ I said to my best friend. ¨Yeah. I picked up on that. I´ll talk to Sophie when she gets back.¨ he replied.

¨Yo! Jax! The lawyer is on his way up and the Sheriff just pulled into the lot.¨ Kozik said from where he looked out the window.

I sighed as I walked over to the elevator to wait for Tom Montgomery. ¨How is she?¨ he asked as he exited the elevator. ¨Awake. That´s all I know. Look, Roosevelt is on his way up. I need you to get this note to Lexi before he gets to her room.¨ I said handing him a piece of paper.

He didn´t say a word. He took the note and continued down the hall in the direction of Lexi´s room.

It was killing me that we didn´t have any leads on who did this to Lexi. Yeah, we had our suspicions but until the club had access to my wife we couldn´t confirm anything.

 **LEXI´S P.O.V.**

I looked at the note from Jax. I knew I had maybe a minute before the Sheriff showed up. I handed the piece of paper back to Tommy and told him to flush it down the toilet. I knew what my role as the Old Lady of SAMCRO´s V.P., as the SAMCRO Princess, required me to do...it would require me to keep my mouth shut when the cops were around and only tell the Club what happened. But they were going to be in for a surprise. It was time for me to protect my family...my husband...my father...the men who are my brothers. It was time for me to get my revenge and make sure nothing blows back on the club.

 **JAX´S P.O.V.**

¨Teller!¨ I looked up when I heard Sheriff Roosevelt yell my name before he made it into the waiting room at St. Thomas. ¨He doesn´t sound too happy. Guess his conversation with your Old Lady didn´t go to his liking.¨ Bobby said, causing my brothers to chuckle.

¨Yeah, Sheriff?¨ I replied when he walked into the waiting room. ¨How did you do it? How did you get to her and convince her not to say anything?" he roared. ¨Now, Sheriff, I´m not quite sure what you are accusing me of. You are the one who is keeping me from having any contact what-so-ever with my wife!¨ I reminded him, bitterly. It was killing me not seeing Lexi...not being able to comfort her...not being able to protect her. I needed to blame someone and who better than a fucking cop.

¨She didn´t tell me anything. She was held captive for a day and a half and she doesn´t know who is responsible? I´m guessing you already know.¨ he said, angrily. ¨Sheriff, I can assure you that my wife has not told me or told anyone associated with SAMCRO who kidnapped her. You can even ask Sophie Buchanan when she returns from my house. She left shortly before you arrived to go get some things Lexi asked for.¨ I replied. ¨Of course she did. I am guessing you sent your half-sister, your cousin-in-law, on a wild goose chase to keep her away from me. I am sure she will leave you some sort of damn clue. I am telling you again, for the last time, back down Teller. Let me and my department do our job. I will find the person or persons responsible for this.¨ he told me before heading towards the elevator

¨Hey Sheriff?¨ I called out before the elevator doors closed. ¨What?" he snapped back. ¨Since you have already spoken with her, I would like to see my wife now. No matter what you think of me and my club, Lexi is my wife and I love her more than you could ever imagine. She and my kids are everything to me.¨ I told him. ¨Fine. I´ll call the Deputy from the car and let him know.¨ he said as the doors closed.

 **LEXI´S P.O.V.**

¨Lexi?¨ I heard his voice before I saw him enter the room. His voice was dripping with concern and worry, but for the first time I wasn´t concerned with putting him at ease and making him feel better. It was the fault of the club that I was in the hospital. It was their fault I had been attacked and raped. It´s their fault that my life would never be the same.

¨Hey.¨ I replied, not meeting his eyes. ¨Lexi, I am so sorry. Babe, I don´t know what to say. I don´t know how to make this right. Tell me what to do. Tell me who did this to you.¨ he said as he sat on the edge of my bed.

I looked into his beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that truly were filled with concern, love, remorse and there it was again – pity. ¨They said I was a message. What they did to me was a message. It was a preview of things to come if you don´t do what they want.¨ I told him.

 **JAX´S P.O.V.**

¨Lexi, what I am about to ask is very important, so I need you to think before you answer. I need you to tell me exactly what they said to you...word for word.¨ he replied.

I hated asking her to do this. I hated that I was going to bring the memories to the forefront. I had already caused her so much pain over the years and after promising to protect her in my wedding vows I was going to hurt her all over again.

My heart cracked and my eyes filled with tears as the anger built up when she looked at me. Her eyes, were empty. There was no emotion in them. She sighed and in a soft Southern drawl she spoke. ¨I don´t remember.¨ she said. I knew she was lying to me but I didn´t know why.

¨Lexi, help me here. Give me something...a clue...anything that can help us find who did this to you.¨ I pressed her, taking her hand. She snatched her hand back.

¨Sophie should be here with my clothes any minutes. I am leaving St. Thomas tonight. I am going to get the kids and take off for a few days. You can come with me if you want...if not I am going to have Tommy come with me. When I come back I will tell you and the rest of the club what I remember, but here is the thing. I refuse Jackson to raise three kids by myself while you go back to jail for a year or longer. We are going to be smart about this. We are going to think and plan. And I will tell you something else, I am going to get my revenge on at least one of them. There were four in on it together. One is already dead. That leaves three.¨ she replied.

What the fuck? There was four of them in on it together? I still didn´t have a clue as to who it was. I doubt Zobelle was the type to get his hands dirty and unless he had another monster working with Weston then it may not have been him. I don´t know what Lexi was planning but I would give her forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours for a mini family vacation. Forty-eight hours outside of Charming. Forty-eight hours to remind her that she would never go thru anything like this again. Forty-eight hours to try to help my wife, my love, recover from this attack. Forty-eight hours to see Lexi´s eyes light up again.

¨Okay. Two days, Lexi. We will spend two days outside of Charming but when we come back you will tell me everything. I won´t press you until then or ask you any questions until we get back. So, what do you say Lex? Where do we go from here?¨ I said.

* * *

 **A/N: Things aren´t always as they seem in Charming. In the upcoming chapters you will see the affect this traumatic experience has on Lexi. She is going to take things into her own hands, because she thinks it is the only way to protect the club. As always enjoy reading and I hope you enjoy!**


	31. Revenge Will Change You

**JAX'S P.O.V. (2 DAYS LATER)**

Without opening my eyes, I reached across the bed for Lexi only to find her side cold and empty for the second day in a row. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. I couldn't believe it…5:16am. Sighing, I sat up and looked across the room towards the patio doors. The doors off our bedroom in the suite at The Inn at Un-Southern San Diego gave us direct access to the beach. I knew that where I would find her…sitting in the dark with only the moonlight to guide her. Actually, I thought shaking my head, it was to guide me to her since sunrise wasn't for another forty-five minutes or so.

As I pulled on a pair of jeans, I couldn't help but wonder if taking Lexi away from Charming had been a good idea. Yes, I had agreed to it when she was relaxed from St. Thomas because it has seemed like the right choice at that time. But I didn't know if I was causing more damage to my family by leaving Abel, Savannah and Jack in Charming with Sophie and Opie.

Thankfully my sister and my best friend agreed to stay at our house with my three kids and with Opie's twins while I took Lexi to Sam Diego. We were going to bring the kids but it had been an absolute shit-show when I bought Lexi home from the hospital. Abel freaked out at the sight of his Mother beaten, bruised and cut up with a cast on her right arm. He barricaded himself in his bedroom and would only let me and Opie in to talk to him. Even Jack, who is normally attached to Lexi at the hip, wouldn't go anywhere near my Old Lady. He kept a firm grasp around Sophie's neck and wouldn't look at Lexi when he saw her abrasions and bruises. Thankfully Savannah had been out with my Mother running errands and Lexi was spared anymore emotional hurt.

It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. My eyes spanned the length of the private beach. I didn't see her and started to panic. What if something happened to her? What if she did something to herself? Wasn't my love strong enough to prevent her from hurting herself? I could feel the panic building. My heart was pounding so hard and so loud it surprised me that it hadn't woken the other guests who were still asleep in their ocean front rooms at the Inn. I was just about to yell for Lexi when I saw her. Dressed in all black, blending in with the water that was only slightly illuminated by the silver slivers of the moon peering thru the clouds that had rolled in overnight, was Lexi sitting on the sand.

As I soundlessly made my way across the sand I saw the knee-jerk reaction my wife had when she realized she was no longer alone. She froze. Her entire body tensed as she sprang to her feet. Something in her left hand caught my attention. She held my KA-BAR. I hadn't noticed it was missing off the nightstand when I got dressed. She relaxed when she realized it was me on the beach with her.

I slowly approached her and wordlessly removed the knife from her hand. I tilted her head back so she was looking me in the eyes and not staring at my chest. I took her left hand and held it in mine. "Lexi..." I started to say, hating the tears I saw in her eyes. Hating the fact that her tears were a result of breaking my wedding vows. I had promised to protect her only ten days ago as we stood in this exact same spot. I broke those vows. It was because of me...because of Clay...because of the Club...because of the Life that this had happened to her. I hated myself for it. And I hated myself even more because of the additional pain and torture I was going to have to put her through.

"Lexi..." I began again. "Babe, talk to me. Please. Tell me what happened before we head home. We have to go back today. We need to go back to Charming and you need to tell the Club what you remember from when you were attacked. They are going to pay for what they did to you. I know that I broke my vows to you and I didn't protect you but I'm swearing to you, on this spot where we were married, that it will be the last time I break any promise to you ever again. They will pay for hurting you. No one will ever hurt you again. You and our children will never have to worry about being hurt ever again. Lexi, my love, talk to me."

As the first break of dawn slightly lightening the sky over the San Diego Bay I saw something in her eyes change when I mentioned the kids. Maybe I was getting through to her. Maybe there was some fight left in her after all. Maybe one day she would forgive me for all of this...if she didn't end up hating me first.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I sat on the beach listening to the sound of the waves breaking in front of me. My body had begun to heal. I noticed when I got out of bed in the middle of the night and tiptoed into the bathroom that my bruises were beginning to fade and turn to more of a dull yellow. The swelling on my face was starting to go down as well. I had been told by the doctor that the cast would have to remain on my right arm until the wrist was healed...probably six to eight weeks. It was making things difficult since I was a righty. It made it awkward when I tried to dress...tried to eat...tried to grab Jax's KA-BAR for protection before slipping out into the cool night air at 3:30am.

I didn't want to feel sorry for myself. I didn't want to feel anything. I wanted to go back to the last time I stood in this spot...ten days ago when I married my soulmate. When I married the man I loved more than life itself. When I married the man who was the father of my three children.

I sat there, drowning in my own thoughts, maybe even literally contemplating drowning in the ocean when I realized I wasn't alone. I couldn't hear or see anyone but I felt it. There was someone else on the beach. I quickly climbed to my feet, clenching Jax's knife in my left hand as I turned around. I was about to raise the KA-BAR over my head and attack when Jax stepped into the path of the moonlight.

I listened silently as he once again professed his love for me and made more promises of protecting me and the kids. More promises of not being hurt again. Promises of my babies not being hurt. He pleaded with me to talk to him...to tell him what happened. I wasn't going to do that here. This spot...this was our place. I wasn't going to let him change this into a place of pain and sadness for me. At that moment I knew what I needed to do. I was going to get my revenge. I would give the Club just enough information but I was going to prove to myself and anyone else who would ever consider hurting my children that you don't fuck with the SAMCRO Princess.

"Let's go home Jax. I want to see the kids. Then I need to go to the office for a bit before you take me to the Club this afternoon." I replied. Before he could say a word I turned around and headed back towards the Inn.

It was just after 1:00pm when Jax pulled my Range Rover into the driveway. I noticed the number of cars and Harley's that were occupying the cul-de-sac. So much for a private reunion with the kids. I sighed as I got out of the car. I could feel Jax watching me as he followed me up the walkway to the front door. Not much had been said on the five-hour drive from San Diego. He opened the door and as I stepped into the entryway, I could hear the laughter coming from the back deck. I smiled when I heard the voices of my children.

I walked into the kitchen and took a step onto the large deck. I saw Abel, Savannah and Jack down below playing with Kenny and Ellie in the back yard. Miles, Filthy Phil and Rat were within feet of the children. It was almost if they were ready to protect them if an enemy attacked. I didn't want my children or my niece and nephew to grow up like this. Enclosed in walls...protected...not living like normal children.

Almost, as if he could read my thoughts, Jax grabbed my hand. It took every inch of my being not to pull it back. I was getting more and more pissed off. It was his fault. His fault that this had happened. His fault...my father's fault...the fucking Club's fault that this had happened. "It won't always be like this. I promise." he said softly, raising my hand to his lips and lightly kissing it.

I didn't say a word. I walked through the crowd of adults on my deck and headed down the stairs to the back yard. I hated all of those adults...those people who were supposed to be my family. Why did they get to go on living as if they didn't have a care in the world? Why did they get to laugh and have fun? Why weren't they at work like normal people on a Friday afternoon? Oh yeah because this life was anything but normal, I thought bitterly as I walked over to where my children were.

"Mama!" Jack shouted when he spotted me. My seventeen-month old ran over to me as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Boo-boo Mama? I kiss and make better." he said looking at my cast when I knelt down in front of him. "Yes baby. I have a boo-boo and a kiss from you would make it so much better." I told him. After a minute with Jack I walked over to where Savannah was watching me from the bottom of the slide that was part of the swing-set.

"Hey baby girl. I missed you." I said, kneeling in front of her. There was something about my mini-me, I thought as she stared into my eyes. "Kiss Mama." she said as she dove into my arms. Yeah, my twins were going to be just fine. Thankfully they were too young that they would never remember seeing me looking like this. Abel on the other hand was never going to forget. I hated that it would probably be one of his first true memories.

I saw Abel making his way around the perimeter of the back yard heading towards the stairs to the deck. He walked up the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen. "I'll go get him." Jax said from behind me. I had been so focused on my babies that I didn't realize he had followed me down from the deck.

"No. I need to be the one he talks to right now. If not I don't know if our relationship will ever be the same." I said.

I walked inside and found Abel sitting at the kitchen table. He looked up at me, his blue eyes...the eyes that were just like his father's and little brother's...filled with tears. I kneeled down in front of him, keeping a smile on my face.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked softly. "I'm sorry I ran into my room. I was scared." he said. His almost three-year-old brain not fully being able to comprehend what he saw. "It's okay Abel. Mommy just had a little accident but look I'm getting better." I told him as I pulled him into my arms, trying not to wince as he silently sobbed sending his body into shakes as I held him.

A minute later I pulled back, wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled at him. "Know what I think we need? I think we need a Mommy and Abel ice cream date? Does that sound good little man?" I asked him. Shortly after the twins were born, while Jax was still in prison, Abel decided he needed a little non-twin time with me. So, we have weekly Mommy and Abel dates. Sometimes it's at home and sometimes it's down at the diner (I don't take him to the café - I just want it to be our one-on-one time without work or anyone else getting in the way) and sometimes it's at the Chuck-E-Cheese in Stockton.

"Rocky Road ice cream!" my boy shouted with a smile. Just like my favorite, his too, at the moment, was Rocky Road. I opened the freezer and grabbed the ice cream. I got out two bowls from the cabinet and the ice cream scoop from the drawer. I struggled to remove the lid from the carton of ice cream. I realized at that point I was never going to be able to scoop the ice cream into the bowls with my left hand. Shit, I thought to myself as I glanced at Abel. His face had turned into one of worry.

"Know what little man? We are going to go out for ice cream sundaes today." I told him. "No! It's supposed to be just us! A Mommy and Abel date!" he shouted. "Relax baby. It will be. I'll tell Daddy that Miles can drive us but don't worry Miles won't be on our date." I told him, trying to calm him down.

It took a few minutes to convince Jax and he only agreed because I consented to having Phil and Rat follow us on their bikes. The compromise was, the three of them had to wait outside of the ice cream parlor.

An hour later Abel was back to his normal self. We were laughing and enjoying our ice cream in the front window booth. It was at that moment I saw her. I would recognize her anywhere. She was walking down the sidewalk across the street and stopping in front of Impeccable Smokes. A middle-aged man opened the door to the store and she ran into his arms hugging him. Holy shit, she was Ethan Zobelle's daughter I realized.

Zobelle had introduced himself to Sophie and I when he first moved into town. Neither one of us got a good feeling from him so we tried to keep our distance, which can be hard when you're a small business owner in a small town. We knew he had a daughter but didn't know she had moved to Charming.

I was on my feet within seconds. I didn't know what to do about Abel. "Abel, honey. I have to run to my office. I am going to have Miles come sit with you until I get back. Then we will finish our date. Stay right here baby." I said as I kissed him on the forehead before grabbing my bag. I didn't make it to the door before Miles entered with Rat and Phil behind him.

"Stay with Abel. I need to run to the office. He's still eating his ice cream." I told Miles. The man who had become like a brother to me while Jax was in prison knew me well enough to know when I was lying. And technically I wasn't lying. I did need to run to my office. I just wasn't telling him why. I knew he wanted to argue with me. He knew I was holding something back. "Fine. Rat and Phil are going with you." he said before heading to sit with Abel.

I walked into Un-Southern and straight up the stairs. "I need to get some files from my office and make a couple of calls. Why don't you get a bite to eat in the café and I'll grab you when I'm on my way out." I suggested before I shut my office door in their face.

I sat at the desk and listened as I heard them make their way back downstairs. It was only then, when I was positive that I was the only person on the third floor, that I opened the safe that was in the credenza behind my desk. I opened it and then opened another little lock box. In that box was my Glock 43. I made sure it was fully loaded before I put it in my handbag. I knew what I had to do and seeing Zobelle's daughter made me realize it.

I quietly opened my office door and made my way down to the salon on the second floor. I quickly walked through the busy salon and made my way to the supply room that had an exit door to the outside stairs. I walked down the stairs and when I reached the bottom I pulled the gun out of my purse. My plan was to quickly cross Main Street and slip into Impeccable Smokes before Rat and Phil came looking for me.

I rounded the corner and walked directly into Jax. My father, Opie, Miles, Rat, Tig, Kozik, Quinn, Chibs, Bobby, Juice and the others were behind him. No one looked happy with me.

"What are you doing here? Where's Abel?" I asked. "Soph came and got him. Phil and Sack followed them back to the house where Gemma, Cherry, Lorca and Donut are with the other kids. What are you doing with the gun, Lexi?" Jax said looking at my hand.

"You need to let me do this Jax. I saw her. I need to get to her. I need to make her tell me who the other two are." I told him, unable to stop the angry tears from silently streaming down my face. "You saw who, baby?" he asked, as he took a step towards me.

"The girl who tricked me at the gas station. I think her father owns the cigar shop across the street. Jax she was involved in my attack. I'm going to make her pay. Then I'm going to make the other two men pay. The two who are still alive." I said.

"Jesus Christ. It was Zobelle's daughter." I heard my father say. "What? You knew? You knew who did this to me?" I heard myself scream.

"No, Lexi-Kate. No we didn't know. We had our suspicions but we weren't sure. We can't be sure until we get the details from you." my father said.

I saw Jax take another step towards me. "No. Stop there Jackson. You don't get to handle this. You don't get to do this so you feel better. I will never feel better. I wished they had killed me that night. They have ruined me...ruined my life and they'll pay for it. I'm going to make them regret everything they have done to me. I'm going to make them regret for touching me. I'm going to make them regret for using me because of you and SAMCRO." I yelled.

I moved to sidestep around Jax and was stopped by Tig. Tig who usually looked at me like he was imagining me naked, was looking at me differently today.

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

"Hold up brother. I got this." Tig said from behind me. I almost stopped him but then I saw the look on his face. He placed himself directly in front of me and stood directly in Lexi's path. I wasn't sure if he was protecting me from Lexi's gun or protecting Lexi from herself.

"Baby doll." he started. "You don't want to do this. You may think you want to but deep down you really don't. It's not you. You're not a killer, Lexi. Revenge will change you Lexi. You are too good. Too good to be involved in this Life, but you are. You have been since you chose Jax all those years ago. But you are too pure to do anything like what you are thinking. It's my job as the Sargent-At-Arms for the Club to protect both my President and the Club. You, honey, are part of the Club so it's my job to protect you. Give me the gun Lexi. Let me do this for you. For the club. Let me protect you. Let me do my job." he told her, holding out his hand, as we waited to see what Lexi was going to do.


	32. Help Me, Heal Me

**A/N: It's definitely been a while...over a year since I have had a chance to update this story. It's a short chapter but one that needed to be written so I can get back into the swing of things. It's been a rough year but I'm hoping to be able to update and entertain you a few times a month. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.**

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

I stood looking at Tig's outstretched hand. No one said a word. They didn't have to. It was if the thoughts running around in their heads were loud enough for me to hear without the words actually being said out loud. As I looked at them I could see what they were feeling. None of them would look me in the eye, yet they couldn't hide anything from me. The emotions of the SONS standing in front of me, the emotions of these men that were feared and respected by hundreds, were written across their faces. I saw anger, pity, sadness, concern and love. I knew I couldn't focus on the sadness, concern, love or pity. If I did it would break me. I needed to focus on the anger...the strength from the anger they were feeling and from what I was feeling. I had so much anger and rage inside of me. It was nothing like I felt before.

"Tig, I need to do this. If it's your job to protect your President, your Club and me then you need to let me do this. You can come with me but no one else. Please Tig, this is the only way you can help me...it's the only way you can help me heal." I told him, staring into blue eyes that were filled with anger.

I then turned to Jax. "Go home Jackson. Go home to our kids. Let me go. I need to do this. I need you to understand. I don't question your judgement when it comes to the Club, or Clay's judgement, but this is different. It has been one thing after another and I need it to end. I need what I feel inside of me to die, and the only way that's going to happen is to hurt Zobelle worse than he hurt me. I'm going to kill his daughter."

 **JAX'S P.O.V.**

My heart continued to break as I looked at Lexi. She looked broken. She had been broken and hurt since shortly after arriving in Charming. God, the pain that she has endured because of her association with the Club is more than any human should have to experience in a lifetime. I sighed and ran my hand thru my hand. I knew I had to tread very carefully here.

"Lexi, give me the gun." I said to her in a no-nonsense tone. A tone that would have most females and all Prospects shaking in their shoes. But not my fiery redhead. She looked up at me with ice in her eyes. She was pissed...pissed at me...pissed at Clay...pissed at the Club...pissed at the World and she had every reason to be. "I'm not letting you become a killer. Tig is right. Revenge will change you. Trust me...trust us...to take care of it." I finished as my hand wrapped around her left hand that clutched the gun. "Plus, you're not a lefty babe. Chances of you shooting anyone with your left hand are slim to none." I said with a slight smile as I looked at her right wrist in a cast that the kids had drawn all over earlier with colored markers.

I handed the gun to Tig and gave him a swift nod. He looked at Clay, who had been standing silently, observing Lexi. Clay began barking orders in his gruff voice. "Tig, will get it done. It's not to be done here on Main Street and it does not come back to Lexi in any sort of way. Get rid of the gun afterwards. Ope, Kozik, Chibs and Quinn will go with him. We don't normally kill women but special exceptions can be made, like we did with that gash Wendy and that bitch Stahl. As far as I'm concerned, Zobelle's daughter is no better than her Father or any of his Aryan buddies. There will be blow back so we need to be ready for it. I want everyone at the Table in an hour to put the plan into action. We're also going to need time to reach out to some of the other Charters. I want to make sure Gemma, Lexi, Sophie and the kids are protected when this goes down."

I watched as Clay walked over to Lexi. "I promise you. We will get revenge for what was done to you. It won't be justice...it won't ever be enough, but I promise you, I won't let any of them get away with what they did. I love you Lexi-Kate. Let Jax take you home. Get some rest, enjoy being with your kids and I'll be by to see you when it's done. I know it's been a rough few years baby girl, but I will always be so thankful you worked up the courage to drive onto the lot that day and go toe-to-toe with Gemma before we got there." he told her as he hugged her.

 **LEXI'S P.O.V.**

Hours later, after Jax had dropped me off at home without saying a word only giving me a quick kiss goodbye, I still hadn't heard from anyone. I went through the motions for the sake of the kids. I let Gemma help me with bath time for Abel, Savannah and Jack since I couldn't get my cast wet and it was hard to function with just my left hand. This was going to take some getting used to until I could get the cast off and regain use of my right hand. Surprisingly Gemma didn't say much to me but I could feel her watching me through dinner right up until we got the kids settled in their beds.

After I closed Abel's door, I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. I then tucked the bottle under my arm, grabbed the glass I had just filled and walked out onto the back deck. It was driving me crazy not knowing what was happening. Was she dead? Did I condemn someone to death? Is this something I could live with? Was my quest for revenge really going to change me? If it did would Jax still love me? I couldn't shut my brain off as I sipped on my wine and looked out over the backyard and the pool. The lights reflecting off the pool made it seem so calm and inviting...it was like a mirage. Basically, it was a fraud...just like my life ended up being. A mirage making things look so perfect on the outside but that was so far from the truth. I just wanted to get drunk, forget everything and relax. Fuck, who am I kidding, I couldn't help but wonder. I wasn't going to relax until I heard from Jax or my Dad.

"Lexi..." I heard Gemma softly say as she opened the door from the kitchen and stepped out onto the deck. I turned and looked at her. Not sure how to read the look on her face. "There's someone at the front door to see you. Lorca and Donut didn't want to let him in. They tried getting a hold of Jax and Clay before talking to me but didn't have any luck in reaching either of them. And he doesn't want to deal with me. He needs the SAMCRO Princess apparently." she told me.

I got up from my chair. So much for peace and quiet I thought to myself as I walked through the house towards the front door. Who the hell would show up at my house that wouldn't be let in unless it was Club related. Obviously, it wasn't someone who meant me harm...if that was the case Donut and Lorca would have already taken care of them I thought as I opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch.

"Alexis, I'm sorry to bother you..." the voice said as he ascended the front steps. I recognized the man behind the voice and was shocked to see him at my house. Jax was going to be pissed because obviously it was club related. But the dark-haired man next to him, dressed in a three-piece suit next to him was someone I hadn't seen before. He was sexy, mysterious and had yet to introduce himself to me.


End file.
